The Darkest Corner (Gravediggers #1)(39)
Images popped up on the screens on each side of Eve, and she clicked through several pictures of the destruction and aftermath of the bombing. Deacon had seen most of the images already, but the devastation was still a kick in the gut.
"Men, women, and children," she said. "Young and old. Families out for the day, many of whom were watching their kids play ball." All of the players survived, though there were some critical injuries, but the stadium collapsed around the field. Those in the stands and beneath didn't fare as well.
"An attack of this size has many components and players. It was well orchestrated and organized. But it was practice. We've found other practice sessions that had similarities in different parts of the world. As you all know, terrorists generally like to start small and work their way up to their final goal. In an attack of this size, there's considerable planning and logistical requirements that have to go into each stage of their mission. Not to mention the equipment and weapons."
Two more pictures came on the screens and she continued. "The picture on your left occurred at an open market in Dubai. The one on the right at a mall in São Paulo. There are several others. Casualties ranged from fifty-five people to just over seven hundred. But it's the materials used that link these attacks together."
"I take it the similarities have something to do with the Russian tanker we've been keeping an eye on?" Deacon asked, knowing that Eve didn't give them orders without a purpose in mind, even if she didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle yet.
"You are correct," she answered. "The Jihadist terrorists call it The Perfect Day. The Russians call it Den' Sud'by."
"Day of Destiny," Dante interjected.
"But it all means the same thing," Eve went on. "It's a terrorist's wet dream. One day where everything falls into place. Where chaos and confusion and death ensue to the point that there aren't enough first responders, nurses, doctors, or hospital beds for survivors. It's 9/11 times a thousand.
"Russia has been waiting patiently and biding its time. They're at a place politically where they have the money, the weapons, and the power. They've spent decades living here, setting up communities and infiltrating all areas of the government. They've perfected what it means to be American."
"While many Americans have forgotten what it means to be American," Dante said, straightening the cuff on his silk dress shirt. "The irony isn't lost on me."
"The fact is they're here," Elias said. "And once they've achieved their Perfect Day, it's easy enough to shut down electrical grids and put everyone into darkness. To shut down radar and air traffic control. They'd create a society of chaos and anarchy, and we all remember what happens to people when they're put in those conditions. We all remember Hurricane Katrina. You take away people's resources and throw them into the worst of the worst conditions and there's no hope for peace. They turn on each other and it's every man for himself. The human instinct for survival is strong, and a person will resort to whatever is necessary to make sure they're the last one standing."
"Which is one of the reasons this team was assembled," Eve said. "The College World Series bombing used a new gas called XTNC-50 in its explosives. It was created in a Russian lab, and as of now, there aren't many documented instances of its use. It's been thrown around as a threat, but we have yet to see its full potential. It's more than a hundred times the fatality rate of sarin gas. It takes seconds to kill. And there is no antidote."
"Is that the common denominator between this practice session and the others?" Deacon asked. "This is the first we've heard of the attacks in Dubai and South America. There's nothing in the intel we were given."
"An oversight the Department of Defense will hear about," she said, and Deacon felt sorry for whoever was on the other end of that conversation.
"But yes," she continued. "XTNC-50 is one of the commonalities. These are terrorists on a suicide mission, and their goal is to send a message and incite worldwide panic. The best way to send the rest of the world into a panic is by putting the United States in a panic. It's not only domestic destruction with the bombings, it means global economic destruction. And Russia is sitting pretty at the top of the food chain. They love it when the world is in chaos, because they thrive under those conditions. Their money and banking systems aren't dependent on Wall Street or the World Bank. They're financed mostly through the Mafiya.
"The explosions went off in timed intervals, and the XTNC-50 gas takes very little time to work. Those who managed to escape the gas and explosions headed toward the exits, but the terrorists used marked first responder vehicles to block exits from the stadium. They were also dressed as first responders, adding to the confusion.