seawasp | FENRIR: Chapter 32

The other side in this project had plans too...

Chapter 32: Contingencies of Failure

Days to Launch: 53

The secure download completed; Silver ejected the memory stick and put it in his pocket, then sanitized the records of his activity. The site from which he had downloaded Keys' code would be erased on that end.

With heightened security there still remained risks of discovery, even with any precautions he took. The truth was that remaining not the focus of an investigation was the only way he was going to evade discovery. The precautions the Group was taking, considerable though they were, simply could not withstand the direct scrutiny of the most powerful intelligence services on the planet.

That had been behind his regretful note to Keys. I am truly sorry, Keys, but I cannot allow the Bells to be used for on-the-ground sabotage. They will be one of my best resources in the final event, and while they might add ten percent to our final pre-launch attempt success rate, they're more like fifty percent for mine.

Fortunately, Keys understood. He now had the final version of the suite of tools he would need, incorporating changes based on everything Silver had been able to arrange or learn about Carpathia's systems. As one of the primary designers and engineers involved in the computer hardware, Silver had a great deal of inside knowledge to apply, and despite the overall failure to stop the project, Lathe's people had been able to add some covert flaws that had managed to pass project security.

Silver was confident now that he could successfully pull off the final option, and that was far more important now. They really had only one window of opportunity left for stopping Carpathia before launch. If that failed…

Then, I suppose, I find out if I am as courageous as I believe I am. But Silver had little doubt on that score; he had devoted his adult life to finding ways to undermine the powerful while appearing to be one of them, and his certainty as to his goal had not wavered. It will be painless, I think, which is good.

But it would be better not to have to die at all, so he placed many hopes on the final attempt – and some that hinged on this last call.

The burner phone rang exactly on time. "Hello."

"Silver, my dear. How very good to hear your voice again!"

"And yours, Needle. Time is short, so I'm afraid we have to get to business."

"Of course." A pause, a faint sound of a sip of tea being drunk. "Keys forwarded me your patrol drone information – so very useful, dear, thank you. Are you absolutely certain you couldn't –"

"No. As I told Keys, the Bells are a much larger factor for me than for you."

"Hm." The silence somehow radiated a sugar-coated menace. "Well, I suppose we have to trust your judgment at this stage, although I dislike having less than the maximum number of resources being available." Her voice warmed. "But there, I think we have an excellent chance of success."

"What can you tell me?"

"Well, dear, I'm sure you can make a shrewd guess at the basic schedule, and I have spared no expense in preparing this final operation. The Group's funds will be essentially depleted once I make final payouts."

"I'm pinched," he admitted, "but I'll arrange for enough for the inner circle to keep operations going if this operation succeeds. If it doesn't… well, the Group inherits what is left, through our arranged channels."

"We all admire your dedication, dear." Needle's complacent tones reminded Silver that she had her own reasons for helping the Group, and not necessarily ones matched to his. "In any case, it will be a three-pronged attack, scheduled to be as nearly simultaneous as possible. I believe any one of the three succeeding should stop Carpathia's launch – at a minimum for several months, at maximum… forever."

Silver felt a flash of hope. "The three we discussed earlier?"

"Three different approaches, dear. The exact methods and targets, of course, I must decline to tell you. Can't let slip what you don't know."

"If I don't, I may be in your field of operations without meaning to. I'd rather not be collateral damage."

"Of course not, dear, none of us would want that," she said in a comforting voice. "That contingency has been carefully planned for. My people will know how to avoid involving you in the, shall we say, festivities?"

"I suppose this time I have to take your word for it." Silver didn't like it. Needle's planning for that contingency could potentially involve having Silver have an accident – or even be framed for the whole thing, which wouldn't even be entirely wrong.

On the other hand, he had his contingencies already in place. "All right, Needle. This will be your last involvement with the Group until at least after Carpathia's dealt with. If you prevent Carpathia's launch, the Group may be able to turn to a new focus."

"Understood. I hope everything works out well for you, dear. It's been a pleasure working with you."

"And with you. Good luck, Needle."

"Good luck, Silver."

He removed the SIM card, broke it into splinters, and wadded them into some toilet paper and flushed those down. The rest of the phone he'd dispose of shortly.

Three-pronged attack. Different types of targets. Specific date. He nodded. It was obvious what Needle and her people would be doing, and what they would be targeting. There was still some question as to who they would target… but even there, Silver had a good idea. There were, as they had discussed, only so many useful-in-death targets.

One of whom may, possibly, be me. Needle had been doing this kind of thing for decades. She was certainly interested in stopping Carpathia… but if she succeeded, Silver became a liability unless he could show her a very profitable reason otherwise. She only needed Silver if she failed; it was possible – perhaps even probable – that if she succeeded in stopping Carpathia, there was a contingency in place for Silver's accidental demise, most likely with a frame already in place.

But I only need her for this last attempt, win or lose.

Why can't we all just get along?