Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

CIA H EADQUARTERS

L ANGLEY , V IRGINIA

Conroy had multiple international news stations playing quietly on the TV monitors in his office. Almost all of them were relaying footage of the aftermath of the attack in Oslo.

"Tell me you've got good news for me," he said as Maggie Thomas arrived for an impromptu meeting.

"Unfortunately, no," she said, joining him at the conference table and taking her seat.

"Have we heard anything from Holidae Hayes regarding what took place in Oslo?"

Maggie glanced at her notes. "So far, it's pretty thin. What she has been able to uncover is that the Norwegians are treating it as a terrorist attack. They're saying multiple drone-borne explosive devices."

"How about the target? That part of Oslo is mixed-use—commercial and residential. Any insights there?"

"If the Norwegians have identified the target, they're not saying. Ditto for who may have been behind the attack. Hayes was able to learn that there are multiple fatalities, both in the apartment building, which she believes was the primary target, and in the underground parking garage where some sort of protracted shoot-out happened."

"I have to ask," said Conroy. "Any chance this is related to their Russian defector, Grechko?"

"Good question. I asked the same thing. Hayes isn't sure. She has reached out to Harvath, but he hasn't responded yet. She's hoping to speak with him shortly."

The DDO poured himself a glass of water from the carafe on the table. "The minute she does, I want an update."

"Understood."

"What did you need to see me about?"

Maggie turned to her next page of notes. "According to sources in Ankara, forty-five minutes ago the Russian defense minister reached out to his Turkish counterpart to express concerns over an alleged plot by Ukraine to detonate a dirty bomb."

Conroy couldn't believe his ears. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, and apparently the Turks didn't believe it either."

"Where are the Russians getting their alleged information?"

"They claim to have sources inside Ukrainian military intelligence," said Maggie. "Which sounds like bullshit to me. I don't think the sources or the intel exists. I think they're making it all up."

"Why?"

"Because they did something similar at the beginning of the war. Remember when they spread disinformation that we were helping the Ukrainians develop bioweapons at U.S. government–funded labs over there?"

Conroy nodded. "Beyond insane. Not only have we signed a treaty with Ukraine assuring both of our nations will never develop or use biological weapons, but the labs over there the U.S. was helping were involved in farming. They dealt with anthrax, plague, hemorrhagic fever… all of which can infect birds and pigs. The idea was to make sure none of that stuff spreads to humans."

"And it's not just the United States who backed Ukraine's efforts. It was Canada, the European Union, and the World Health Organization. Practically every nation in the world studies these diseases, but the Russians wanted to make it seem like something nefarious.

"We're talking about public health and veterinary labs, all working alongside the Ukrainian health and agriculture ministries. Not only were none of them involved in biological warfare, but their only contact with the Ukrainian military was to provide mobile rapid-testing labs in case of emergency. All of it was out on the internet, open-source. Nevertheless, Russia began spinning tales of secret, U.S.-backed bioweapons labs in hopes of painting itself as a ‘truth teller' with valid reasons for its invasion, Ukraine as a sinister country engaged in biological weapons development, and America as an evil force whose support of Ukraine was totally suspect.

"It was prime Russian propaganda, which unfortunately found a home in certain corners of the American citizenry. It didn't matter that the claims were easily disproven with a modicum of research. For some people who were angry with the world, their government, or whatever—it fit a predetermined narrative that was simply too good to challenge. And that's what continues to get me—the angrier people are, the more they are susceptible to malign foreign influence."

Conroy had been around long enough to know how effective Russian propaganda could be. And right on their heels were the Chinese. The billions of dollars those two nations were spending to impact the cultural conversation and harm the United States was mind-boggling.

He longed for a return to the days when Americans realized that there was more that united than divided them. He prayed the country wouldn't have to live through another 9/11 just to get to the national unity that arose on 9/12.

"Okay, let's say they're making the whole dirty bomb thing up," said Conroy, steering them back to the matter at hand. "What's the point?"

Maggie didn't need any notes for this part. This was the part where her analytic skills shone best. "I can think of three reasons," she said. "First of all, it raises the psychological stakes. It refocuses the world on Ukraine and makes the Ukrainians appear desperate. Russia must be winning and the Ukrainians must be losing if the Ukrainians are going to resort to something so damnable.

"Second, it makes the Russians appear more reasonable. By calling out such bad behavior, the Russians are attempting to place themselves above it. Look at us, we're so much better than those guys. The world should be on our side in this. Especially the United States. This is terrorism. How could anyone have as neighbors monsters who would use dirty bombs?"

When, after a lengthy pause, Conroy didn't hear Maggie articulate her third reason, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, "What's number three?"

Taking a deep breath, she replied, "That's my worst-case scenario. It's the Russians prepping the public relations battlefield. By pointing to anticipated bad behavior by Ukraine, they're trying to create a permission structure, which would allow them to engage in even worse behavior. In other words, we're justified in doing X because Ukraine is going to employ dirty bombs.

"If I'm right and it is number three, the Russian defense minister will be making several other phone calls to his NATO contemporaries. I think he's trying to purchase top cover. The Kremlin wants to be able to say it informed NATO members of the threat and that NATO did nothing to rein Ukraine in. Because of NATO's inaction, Russia was left no choice but to strike first."

"Meaning a nuclear strike."

Maggie nodded. "If those devices are in Belarus, I don't think it's for show. If the Russians put them there, it's because they intend to use them."

Conroy didn't waste a moment responding. Reaching for his phone, he buzzed his assistant. "I need five minutes with the Director. Maggie will be coming with me. We need to see him ASAP."