“Seeing as how they’ve already killed masses of people in two different public crowd settings, I’d say that heavy action is something they’re used to.”
About thirty minutes later Danielle returned to the conference room with a laptop. She set the computer down on the table across from Tanner and Liam and took a seat in front of it.
“Based on the two items contained in the facsimile, I picked up some intel on the Internet that I think may be worth looking into.”
Tanner urged her to continue.
“Using the name on the driver’s license — Berg Minten — I was able to trace some interesting Web activity that indicates Minten is — or was, as the case may be — a Hofstad operator.” She held up a finger to indicate more was forthcoming. “Not only that, but following his name I came across specific details of an operation Hofstad apparently refers to as The Poseidon Initiative.”
“As in the Greek God?” Liam wanted to know.
“God of the Sea, that’s correct,” Danielle returned.
“What’s the objective of this initiative?” Tanner studied the driver license photo again.
Danielle tapped a key on her laptop and focused on the screen for a second before responding. “To…and I quote…’harness the power of the sea’s unique biochemicals to exact vengeance on enemies of a pure State.’“She looked up at Tanner and Liam.
“This was posted publicly under the Hofstad name for all to see?” Liam looked incredulous.
Danielle shook her head. “News site message board postings under an alias I tied to Minten’s real name. Minten is Hofstad, though, for sure, so on the chance that he was mouthing off about Hofstad’s future plans thinking it was safe to do so as long as he didn’t specifically mention Hofstad and used a message board moniker, I searched other known Hofstad members for web activity related to Poseidon. ‘You can spell poison from the word Poseidon’, one of them noted on a known anarchist website forum.”
“An anagram,” Tanner clarified.
Liam gave him a stare. “What are you, an English major? You pack a poetry book in your go-bag?”
Tanner gave him a mock punch to the shoulder, which Liam deflected.
Danielle interjected. “I also found several references — all under assumed names tied to known Hofstad members — to ocean-related inquiries, including red tides and the micro-organisms that cause them.”
Tanner perked up, recalling one of his conversations with Jasmijn. “Anything about STX?”
Danielle raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Saxitoxin and its abbreviation, STX, were both mentioned in tactical and logistical discussions. Not actual Hofstad discussions, mind you, but informal strategizing or brainstorming online sessions with at least one Hofstad member participating anonymously.”
Tanner picked up the fax and dropped it back on the table again. “Okay. So this guy’s definitely in Hofstad and was researching something called the Poseidon Initiative, which sounds like it may be related to the STX terror attacks. We don’t yet know for certain. But what about the business card? Any leads on that?”
Danielle glanced briefly at the fax as she answered. “That yacht dealership — Royal Yachts, Ltd., is a well-established London business. So well-established, in fact, that I don’t think we need to worry about this company being a front for anything. It’s the real deal. But there is something that raised a flag.”
“What’s that?” Tanner eyed the simple business card.
“They sold President Carmichael his current yacht.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
“The Presidential yacht?” Tanner asked.
Danielle shook her head. “There is no official Presidential yacht right now, that is, a yacht paid for and maintained by the government for the exclusive use of the president. There hasn’t been since the USS Sequoia in the late 1970s.”
“So we’re talking about a private yacht, here?” Liam asked.
Danielle nodded. “That’s right, President Carmichael’s private yacht, which he named Lincoln, after his hero and distant predecessor in office.”
“Does he ever use his yacht, or does it just sit around like a lot of them, or get rented out?”
“Good point, Tanner,” Danielle said. “I was able to confirm that he does not rent it out — I’m sure Dante could tell us how the Secret Service would object strenuously to that. However, he does in fact use it from time to time. More importantly, he’ll be using it tomorrow, on a publicized vacation to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The Lincoln will already be there with full crew when he arrives by Air Force One. A cocktail party for unspecified VIPs of the president’s choosing is also scheduled.”
“I’ve been to Boothbay,” Tanner said. “It’s a Summer hotspot, crowded with tourists. Beautiful place.”
“And it’s Labor Day Weekend,” Liam added. “End of Summer blowout.”
“So he’s going to be there tomorr—” Tanner cut himself off as he realized the implication of what he was about to say.
Liam perked up. “Tomorrow’s when Hofstad’s forty-eight hour deadline is up.”
Tanner rubbed his temples while he looked down at the tabletop in thought. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at Danielle. “Coincidence? This yacht dealership is a major business, known all over the world. Just because a Hofstad operative had one of their cards doesn’t necessarily mean they plan to attack the President on his boat tomorrow.”
Danielle frowned in his direction. “Unfortunately, it also doesn’t mean that they don’t. Combined with my other Internet data mining results, my modeling program puts the odds of a Hofstad attack on the president tomorrow at seventy-seven percent.”
Tanner quietly issued a curse under his breath. Danielle’s program-driven estimates were usually spot on.
“Hold on,” Liam interjected. “Tell me exactly how having the card of the dealership means that Hofstad intends to target the Lincoln tomorrow, the timing of it aside. It’s a big leap.”
Danielle’s fingers erupted in a flurry of activity across her laptop keyboard for a few seconds and then she turned to face the two men. “It goes back to the Poseidon theme. The ocean. To eliminate the POTUS on a yacht would represent the ultimate expression of Hofstad’s power via the sea. I’m picking up a steady stream of insurgent chatter that leads me to believe it’s something they’re considering.”
“Even without the president there,” Tanner said, “Boothbay Harbor will be full of waterfront tourists. They just hit a beach, so it’s not like they don’t see any value in the location alone. If they did strike Boothbay, it would be symbolic—we can strike your shores anywhere from Hawaii to the eastern seaboard.”
“The president is just the icing on the cake, is that it?” Liam asked.
Tanner replied at length, his expression thoughtful. “Anytime you go for a president, there are no guarantees of success. The odds are long, especially when it comes to the POTUS. Being on a boat may lower expectations of security, but even so, it wouldn’t surprise me if they had a backup target should the POTUS hit prove too problematic.”
Liam nodded. And that backup target is the Boothbay waterfront?”
“I think so.” Tanner addressed Danielle. “Start gathering intel online for Boothbay. Maybe something will turn up.”
She nodded and left the room.
“Liam, you ever been there?”
The former SEAL shook his head. “I do like cold water, though,” he said with a grin.
“Good. Let’s get packed. While the Netherlands team guards Jasmijn so she can hopefully develop that vaccine, you and I are taking a little vacation to Maine.”