“But we were flying the drones?”
“Or were you flying virtual drones, pretending to be drones, pretending to be civil aircraft. I have sizeable bonus payment to bet you that you couldn’t tell the difference!” he beamed.
“The aircraft investigations will be the judge of that!” croaked Planner.
“There will be none. No-one will ever find out. We’re playing the Big Lie182. The bigger the lie, the more likely it is to be believed. Basic PsyOps,” Bates lectured. “You can’t correct human nature.”
“I know the theory, Bates,” said Planner. “We all know our Sun Tzu and Machiavelli. But these theories were developed before video tape and forensic science. People are not as stupid as you think. They don’t need eidetic memory when they have video on the destruction of the Twin Towers and Building Seven. They will work it out. You know which science is going to win out in the long run? Between psychology and physics?”
“The long run?” sneered Bates. “I think you need to be worrying more about the next five minutes rather than the next five centuries. Five centuries is about the time it will take to unravel this one.”
Colonel Purple burst angrily into the room. “I don’t believe I have to do this again!”
Planner stood and regaining his full confidence said, “Hi, Colonel. Thanks for coming in. Another change of plan, I’m afraid. We need to do some tidying up early…”
Planner pointed aggressively at Bates.
Bates snorted in derision, “Really?” Then he saw the look in Purple’s eyes and lost his smile. “Hey, wait a minute, Colonel.”
Planner said sarcastically, “If only we had the time…”
Bates said, “I have the authorization. I do the tidying up!”
“For a coup d’etat, maybe,” said Planner.
The Colonel took out a taser.
“What?” said Bates, confused.
“I’m in counter-counter-intelligence, Master Bates! You’ve lied to the team, you’ve lied to me. I suspect you are allied to a revolutionary plot to assassinate the President. I don’t have the time to give you a fair trial on this. You have been sanctioned,” said Planner with his voice rising above Bates’ spluttering protests. “Please expedite, Colonel!”
Bates stopped pleading. His fight-or-flight reaction kicked in. He sprung at Planner letting out a loud growl at the same time. He’d got his hands around Planner’s neck and started throttling him.
Bates then stopped rigid as Purple activated the taser; thin wires darted into him and deliver its charge and froze his muscular control. Bates released his grip and vibrated down to the ground. Planner felt a touch of the charge but was free, gasping and rubbing his neck.
“Excuse me, Sir,” said Purple. He made the taser safe, bent down and twisted Bates’ neck sharply. He was dead. “It’s a long time since I’ve had to do that.”
“Sorry, Colonel. It’s a horrible business,” wheezed Planner. “Wheels within wheels on this one.”
“So I understand. The President is about to take off,” said Purple.
“Right. We need to make sure he is safe. I think Bates was involved in the plot against him. Hence that warning message.”
“Angel is next?” asked Purple.
“Right,” said Planner. “Wouldn’t surprise me if this other E4-B, the one about to take off from Washington, is something to do with it too.”
“This is a messy business,” said Purple.
“Right. That’s why we need you guys,” smiled Planner.
They exited the room and paused in the corridor. Purple said, “I’ll lock this door. We can sort this out once we land.”
“Good idea,” said Planner. “I need to freshen up.”
“Don’t be long. We need you,” said Purple grimly.
Planner hurried to the back of the aircraft along the starboard-side corridor and into the E4B Rest Room, slamming the door behind him and stood panting. He looked at the luggage piled against the bunk beds. Planner sprang forward to locate Bates’ carry-on bag. He found it quickly but it was locked. Planner looked around and found a toolbox. Inside was a Box Cutter183. He looked up to the heavens knowingly; he bent down in order to slice open the bag around the zip but his hands started to shake violently. He steadied his hand and then consciously started to breathe. He closed his eyes and when he reopened them, noticed a bolt cutter in the toolbox. Using the bolt cutter on the padlock, he gained entry into the bag. He uncovered an envelope. Inside were a passport, official documentation and bankcards. Planner took the envelope and opened his own carry-on open bag and put the envelope inside. He placed his own padlock on Bate’s bag and sealed it.
* * * *
Having splashed some water over his face from a bottle, Planner re-entered the Command Room, red-faced, dripping and shaking. His entrance was barely noticed. The Rainbow Team were watching the North Tower collapse. Planner looked over to Purple.
“I confirmed the order,” Purple said.
“Thanks. Ok, let’s get these flights down. I think we all want to get back on the ground now,” said Planner wiping a drip from his chin.
“Indigo,” said Ochre and was able to stretch back and nudge him, “you still had a 93 transmission running. I’ve closed it down now.”
“Ok, right. Thanks,” said Indigo dejectedly.184
* * * *
At Tinker Air Base, the Rainbow Team left their bus and entered into the airbase reception. A TV was on and a newscaster was estimating the number people killed to be 10,000.
Planner, Purple and Ochre walked through with their bags into an open area. Following them were Indigo and Nicholas and other members of the Rainbow Team. However, their path was blocked. A burly security guard directed them to another channel that had a baggage check machine and X-Ray body scanner at its end.
In a side office, Planner was given a brief case filled with new dollar bills. He was then able to skip the mission-briefing meeting and able to leave from the front of the terminal building. Even though it was a military air base, the terminal building was just like any other airport terminal building, albeit with extra security. Planner walked a short distance out to the main gate. He showed his CIA pass and was allowed to leave. There was a taxi rank outside. He asked to be driven to the nearest AVIS Auto Rental office.
Driving past the back of the terminal building, Planner saw large plastic crates were being rolled into the back of a van marked “Biological Hazard”.
Chapter Seventeen: Ground Zero
There were 2753 people killed on 9/11 in New York. Workers have recovered 22,000 body parts, identifying 1254 victims. But for 1198 victims there were no remains. There were less than 300 intact bodies; only 12 of these could be identified by visual recognition. The high level of dismemberment indicated explosive force would be their cause of death, although this was never discussed on TV or in the papers. In 2006, many small body parts were found on top of nearby skyscrapers over 400 feet away from the twin towers, flung there in the micro-seconds that the twin towers remained above 43 stories.185 The DNA evidence was handled by two laboratories: the one in New York was a private laboratory set up by a friend of Mayor Rudi Giuliani. The other in Washington which handled the Pentagon and Shanksville Crash was, after a minor dispute with the local Police, managed by the military.
Each news channel had experts on hand to describe the perpetrators of the attack: Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.186 One of them was Katherine’s boss: Paul Bremer; not only CEO of Marsh Crisis Consulting, the risk and insurance services subsidiary of Marsh amp; McLennan Companies Inc, but he was also a counter terrorism expert (and later to be Governor of occupied Iraq). At WTC, a passport supposedly from one of the hijackers was handed to Police Chief Kerik187. This news was quickly reported via a TV newscaster, with the addition, “…if you can believe that!”