The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

There were just too many redundancies, too many nodes. Two satellites serving
the United States were still up and operating, and so were nearly all of the
microwave repeater systems that had preceded them. The networks didn't merely
run out of New York and Atlanta. NBC's Los Angeles bureau, after a surreptitious
call from Rockefeller Center, took over for that network. CBS and ABC
accomplished the same out of Washington and Chicago, respectively. The irate
reporters also let the public know that FBI agents were 'holding hostage' the
network news headquarters people in the most heinous abuse yet of the First
Amendment. ABC was outraged that its crew had been killed, but that was a small
thing compared to the scope of the story. The proverbial cat was out of the bag,
and phone lines at the White House press office lit up. Many reporters had the
direct number to Camp David as well. There was no statement from the President.
That only made things worse. The CBS affiliate in Omaha, Nebraska, had only to
drive past SAC headquarters to note the beefed-up guard force and the empty
flight line. Those pictures would be on nationwide in a matter of minutes, but
it was the local news teams who did the best and the worst work. There is
scarcely a city or town in America that lacks a National Guard armory, or a base
for reservists. Concealing the activity at all of them was tantamount to
concealing a sunrise, and the wire-service printers reported activity
everywhere. All that was needed to punctuate those reports was the few minutes
of tape from KOLD in Denver, running almost continuously now, to explain what
was going on, and why.
***
The phones at the Aurora Presbyterian were all being used. Parsons knew that he
could have forced his way onto one, but it was easier to run across the street
to a largely deserted shopping center. He found an FBI agent there, wearing a
blue 'raid' jacket that proclaimed his identity in large block letters.
'You the guy from the stadium?' Parsons' head gear was gone, but he still wore
the metallic coat and pants.
'Yeah.'
'I need a phone.'
'Save your quarters.' They were standing outside a men's clothing store. The
door had alarm tape on it, but looked cheap. The agent pulled out his service
pistol and fired five rounds, shattering the glass. 'After you, pal.'
Parsons ran to the counter and lifted the store phone, dialing his headquarters
in Washington. Nothing happened.
'Where are you calling?'
'D.C.'
'The long-distance lines are down.'
'What do you mean? The phone company shouldn't be hurt from this.'
'We did it. Orders from Washington,' the agent explained.
'What fucking idiot ordered that?'
'The President.'
'Outstanding. I gotta get a call out.'
'Wait.' The agent took the phone and called his own office.
'Hoskins.'
'This is Larry Parsons, NEST team leader, can you relay something to