The Revolution Trade (Merchant Princes Omnibus 3) by Stross Charles

Author:Stross, Charles [Stross, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780230771772
Publisher: Tor
Published: 2013-06-05T20:00:00+00:00

NORTHWOODS

Morning, July sixteenth.

In a locked store room on the eighth – top – floor of a department store off Pennsylvania Avenue, a timer counted down towards zero.

Another timer matched its progress – in a janitor’s store on the top floor of a museum building near the Mall, behind a door jammed by cyanoacrylate glue in the lock and hinges.

And unfathomably far away, on a scaffold by the swampy banks of a slow-moving river, two men labored over a third timer, readying it for delivery to a target in the looking-glass world of the United States of America.

Nobody understood yet, but the worlds were about to change.

*

‘Duty Chief? This is the major. I have some orders for you. The day code is: Echo, Golf, Zulu, X-ray, five, nine, Bravo. Did you get that?’

‘Yes, my lord. One moment . . . yes, that is correct. What do you have for me?’

‘Flash priority message to all Internal Security posts. Message begins: Traitors to the Clan have activated Plan Blue without authorization. Any security officers in possession of special weapons are to secure and disarm them immediately. Anyone not in possession but with knowledge of the disposition of special weapons must report to me immediately. Use of lethal force to secure and disarm special weapons in the possession of unauthorized parties is approved.’ Riordan swallowed and shifted his grip on the cell phone. ‘Anyone who is unaware of Plan Blue or the nature of the special weapons – you should execute Plan Black immediately. I repeat, Plan Black, immediate effect. Order ends. Please copy.’

The stunned silence at the other end of the connection lasted almost a second. ‘My lord. Plan Blue? Plan Black?’

‘Copy, damn your eyes!’

‘Sir.’ The duty officer pulled himself together: ‘I copy . . .’ He repeated Riordan’s orders. ‘I’ll put that out immediately, by your leave?’

‘Do it. Riordan out.’

He closed the phone with a snap and glanced sidelong at Lady Olga. She was staring across her seat back at Miriam, who was talking intently into her own phone, her face a study in strain. He opened his mouth, but she raised a finger. Half a minute passed as their driver, Alasdair, carried them ever closer to the turnpike; then Miriam held the phone away from her face and shook her head. ‘Trash,’ she said, holding it out to Brill, who popped the battery before sliding it into a waste bag. ‘We are so fucked,’ she said tonelessly.

‘Plan Black?’ Olga asked.

‘What did Mr. Fleming say?’ asked Riordan, ignoring her to focus on Miriam.

‘It’s – ’ Miriam shook her head, punch-drunk. ‘Crazy talk. He says Dr. James works for the vice president! And he’s been in collusion with someone in the Clan for years! It’s insane! He said something about tapes, and about them wanting an excuse, a Pearl Harbor.’

‘Can Fleming do anything for us?’ Riordan stared at Miriam as she shook her head again. ‘Why not?’

‘He says he’s disposable. He’s going to try and find someone to talk to, but there’s no point going through the chain of command.

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