The Emerald Scepter Page 40

  “Would you please introduce yourself to my friends?”

  “No problem. My name is Lee Davis. I’m a geologist and I’ve been working for a number of years with the Pentagon.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Davis. Can you please pick up where I left off?”

  “Sure. As mentioned, Russian troops left Afghanistan in 1989. They had teams of specialists, including mining experts, scattered throughout the country, and many of these teams had to evacuate before they could collect all of their data. Inevitably, much of the mining data was lost, but some of it ended up with the Afghan geological survey library.”

  “And what happened to it from there?”

  “Three years after our guys drove the Taliban out of Kabul, a group from the U.S. Geological Survey went to Afghanistan to help with reconstruction. In the Afghan survey offices they stumbled on old survey charts and mining data. Stuff that looked important. So in 2006, they outfitted a navy Orion P-3 plane with advanced gravity and magnetic measuring gear and flew over around seventy percent of the country.”

  “Did they find anything promising?”

  “Enough to bring them back the next year for a deeper look using equipment that produced 3-D pictures of mineral deposits under the surface. They turned the data over to a small group of geologists.”

  “And what was the reaction?”

  “We were astonished.”

  “We?”

  “I was part of the group.”

  “Go on.”

  “The government sat on its hands for two years. No one looked at the findings. The Pentagon had a task force to create business opportunities, but they were focused on Iraq. With things winding down there, they transferred the task force to Afghanistan. They looked at the surveys and measured the potential economic value of the deposits. The Pentagon guys couldn’t believe their eyes, so they brought in American mining experts to take a look on the ground. Next they briefed the Secretary of Defense and the president of Afghanistan.”

  “It must have been a pretty big deal,” Fletcher said.

  “A very big deal,” Davis said with a grin on his face. “They figured the potential value of the mineral deposits they had found was nearly a trillion dollars.”

  “That’s a lot of money,” Fletcher said.

  “Hell yes. The country is bursting at the seams with all sorts of goodies. The iron and copper alone could make the country a major world producer. There are big deposits of niobium for use in making superconductor steel, rare earths, and huge gold reserves. Under the dry salt lakes in some areas of the country, there could be as much lithium as in Bolivia, which has the biggest deposits now.”

  “Could you put the extent of the lithium deposits in perspective?” Fletcher said.

  “Someone at the Pentagon said Afghanistan could one day become the Saudi Arabia of lithium! The Pentagon is helping the Afghans develop a system to put mineral rights out to bid. Unfortunately, not much has happened in that regard yet, especially in the south and east with all the fighting.”

  “Suppose we had a magic wand that could end the fighting,” Fletcher said. “Based on your findings, what is the likely scenario for minerals development?”

  “The development money would come pouring in. It would dwarf the opium trade. Minerals would become the backbone of their economy. Afghanistan could become a powerhouse.”

  “And who might these investors be?”

  “U.S. mining companies. Multi-nationals. But mostly developing countries that need important minerals to sustain their growth.”

  “What about China?”

  “Already a player. They bribed the Afghan minister of mines to let them place the winning bid on a copper operation. He got fired, but the Chinese are in charge of the Aynak copper mine in Logar province. They’re hungry for more and will probably come in using proxies.”

  “Very interesting and insightful. Thank you for your time, Dr. Davis.”

  “My pleasure.”

  The screen went blank. Fletcher turned to Sturmer.

  “I think Mr. Davis just answered your question about how bad it is with his comment about the Chinese copper mine. This goes beyond economic interests. Control of minerals is of strategic value. China has used its control of rare earths to push Japan around. The U.S. is heavily dependent on Chinese minerals, which means we could be next in line for blackmail.”

  “But our army is in charge of the country now,” Sturmer said. “The only way the Chinese can come in is if they choose to go up against our guys in combat.”

  “The Chinese know that and are working with elements of the Pakistani intelligence service to broaden their influence in Afghanistan. This has been made easier by the fact that some Pakistani intel people see China as a counterweight to their arch enemy India. The Chinese are aware of this and are using the Pakistanis to cultivate links with insurgent groups as a strategic hedge so they’ll have influence in Afghanistan once the U.S. leaves Kabul.”

  “Looks like the Chinese are making an end run,” Sturmer said.

  The satellite picture of Afghanistan reappeared and the camera zoomed in on a body of water shaped like a long figure eight.

  “Exactly. They hope to score a goal. Here. The salt flats around this lake cover some of the biggest lithium deposits in the country. This province is a lynchpin. If the Chinese-Pakistani cartel takes control of it, it will become increasingly difficult to stop them from doing the same in other parts of the country where they can negotiate with the locals or corrupt central government officials. Companies like yours and the others here in this room would be nudged out.”

  “By God! We’ve shed blood to hold onto this piece of real estate,” Sturmer said. “The men in this room represent some of the biggest minerals extraction companies in the world. We deserve exclusive rights.”

  Fletcher raised an eyebrow. He was aware that the only blood Sturmer and his colleagues had ever shed came while they were shaving and that they regarded the U.S. armed forces as an appendage in the service of their corporate interests.

  “Calm down, Kurt,” he said. “No one is going to walk into that province with a handful of Renminbi. It’s controlled by a drug warlord named Amir Kahn.”

  “Can’t our guys take him out?’

  “That would be unwise. He’s connected by family ties to the ruling government and the Haqqani network that has been supporting the insurgents. Elements of the Pakistani intelligence services recently tried to remove Amir. Our intention was to let them do the dirty work for us, then move in. Unfortunately Amir survived the assault.”

  “That is unfortunate,” said a guest. “How do we pry this guy out?”

  “Simple. With a carpet-bombing campaign and permanent occupation of the border regions that puts up a big No Trespassing sign telling the poachers they will be shot on sight.”

  Sturmer laughed. “I like it, Charles. There’s only one problem, the U.S. government wants to get out of Afghanistan and the voters are tired of the whole war. We’re going broke. Bridges, roads and schools have become a priority. People in Afghanistan want us out. Our metaphorical gardener is tired from tending the cabbage patch.”

  “What if we made him untired?” Fletcher said. “What if something happened that would marshal public opinion to put aside its misgivings, reorder those priorities and get behind the massive effort I’m talking about?

  “Last time that happened was after 9/11.”

  “What if something happened that was even more horrendous than 9/11?”

  “Is that a possibility?”

  “As an intelligence officer, I would say that it is very much a possibility. And we had better be prepared.”

  Sturmer made his voice heard above the murmurings.

  “What do you need from us?” he asked.

  “Your discretion, to begin with. Then the usual things. Money. Influence o
n Capitol Hill, so that when the time is ripe, you can move in with your heavy equipment at an instant’s notice.”

  “I think I can speak for the others when I say that we have implicit trust in you, Charles.”

  He went around one-by-one to the others in the room and got their agreement.

  “Thank, you gentlemen,” Fletcher said. “I will keep you informed through my old friend Kurt. I’ve arranged for a car to take you back to the airport.”

  Fletcher saw his guests to the front door, and watched the stretch limo until its taillights vanished down the long driveway which was still wet from the rain. He went back to his study, poured a couple of fingers of cognac into a snifter and sat in a leather chair in front of the windows.

  The rain scratched against the glass and the rumble of thunder had grown louder. The storm was moving fast. His favorite weather. He took a sip of brandy and glanced toward the fireplace at the far end of the study where he saw a purple plume of cigar smoke rising above the back of the chair he’d been sitting in earlier. He realized that he was not alone.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

  Fletcher put the snifter down on his desk, quietly opened a drawer and filled his hand with a compact SIG Sauer P228 semi-automatic pistol. He eased the safety off and pointed the muzzle at the back of the chair.

  “Turn around so I can see you,” he said in a calm voice. “I have a gun.”

  Slowly, the chair swiveled around. There was a red glow as the silhouetted intruder exhaled a cloud of smoke.

  “Who are you?” Fletcher said. “Be quick with your answer!”

  “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten my face so soon.”

  Fletcher lowered the pistol.

  “Damnit, you could get yourself shot, Hawkins.” He turned a desk lamp on.

  Hawkins got up and came over to settle into a chair facing the desk. Moisture matted his thick hair and beaded his black windbreaker. He swirled the liquid in the snifter and took a sip.

  “Damned fine brandy. Good smoke, too. Helped myself. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Glad you appreciate my hospitality,” Fletcher said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came for my discharge papers according to our agreement.”

  Fletcher opened the drawer that had held the gun. He pulled out a thick brown envelope and placed it on the desk blotter. “You are now officially sane as far as the navy is concerned. How did you get in?” he said.

  “Standard SEAL insertion. Fast-roped in by helicopter.”

  “I never heard—”

  “Just joking, Dr. Fletcher. I climbed the porte-cochere to a second-floor window.”

  “It would have been far easier if you rang the doorbell.”

  “I didn’t want to interrupt your fireside chat and movie show.”

  Fletcher’s eyes narrowed. “How much did you hear, Hawkins?”

  “Enough so that I know what it was all about. Professor Saleem said there was a bigger prize here than the Prester John treasure. I’d say a trillion dollars in minerals qualifies for that designation.”

  “That’s not all it was about, Hawkins. This was about national security.”

  Hawkins’ cutting laugh brought a frown to Fletcher’s jowly face.

  “So those tuxedoed fat cats are just patriots taking up arms to defend their bank accounts?” Hawkins said.

  “They are wealthy mining officials, but in their own way they are foot-soldiers in a worldwide struggle in which our country is engaged.”

  “Do tell.”

  “I understand your skepticism. What do you think would happen if the Chinese gained monopolistic control of the rare minerals like lithium? We and China both devour natural resources to fuel our economies, which support our military. Being denied access to those resources would fatally weaken us as an economic and military power.”

  “So by plundering Afghanistan, you and your rich pals defend the U.S.”

  “You seem troubled because someone will make money off this arrangement.”

  “From the look of this mansion and the quality of your liquor cabinet, you, apparently, are not troubled in the least.”

  “People have always gained wealth by conflict or the threat of conflict. We need symbiotic relationships with those who provide us with the means to be secure.”

  “Relationships like you have with Arrowhead?’

  “Quite correct.” He eyed Hawkins like a poker player. “How did you know?”

  “You left latent fingerprints all over the place. It was only a question of lifting the partials and assembling them into a full set. Real CSI stuff.”

  “Impressive. What else do you know?”

  “Bits and pieces. Maybe you’d like to fill me in on the whole story.”

  “You’ve played cozy with me, lieutenant. Why should I tell you anything?’

  Hawkins shrugged. “It’s the only way you’ll learn how a psychotic ex-SEAL has been able to give you nightmares.”

  The two men locked stares. Hawkins was not surprised that Fletcher was the first to back off. The man was consumed by his self-importance and would want to tell Hawkins how smart he was.

  “We had three main goals. Eliminate the Shadows as a threat. Torpedo Pakistan’s effort to ease Chinese exploitation of the lithium fields and beyond. Gain control of the mineral wealth for the U.S. We would accomplish the first goal by luring the Doctor, the Shadows’ head, and his friends out into the open. The treasure was a bonus because the Shadows would eliminate Amir, clearing the way for us to move into the vacuum thus created.”

  “What was Arrowhead’s role in all this?”

  “You have to go back to 9/11 to understand the whole picture. The nation was frightened and confused. No one knew if another attack was coming. The CIA was empowered to use unusual methods to find and interrogate suspects.”

  “Torture.”

  Fletcher dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. “They couldn’t let their methods be known, so they hired contractors who were willing to dirty their hands.”

  “The Arrowhead corporation provided those contractors.”

  Fletcher nodded. “I had been an intel consultant for Arrowhead. I set up an enhanced interrogation team.”

  “Archer?”

  “Archer. When news of the CIA interrogation methods went public, we were officially disbanded, although in reality our talents were used in Afghanistan in the intimidation program against the Taliban.”

  “Intimidation? Another euphemism.”

  “Assassination and torture, if you will. We were trying to persuade the Taliban to come to the bargaining table.” Even Fletcher had to smile at the irony of his statement.

  “Tell me about Trask and McCormick.”

  “Trask was head of our psychological unit. He oversaw how far a suspect could be pushed before breaking or dying. McCormick was in charge of delivering counter-punches.”

  “What about Murphy?”

  “He was a strong-arm man. An enforcer, if you will. He relayed your message about a trade for Trask and McCormick, by the way. Murphy is prone to error and loose talk, which is why he is no longer with us.”

  “Dead?”

  “I prefer to say he is longer in our employ. He told you the truth about Honest Abe. He warned the warlord that you were coming. The ambush was entirely out of our control.”

  “But the cover-up and the slime job against me were not.”

  “Your investigation could have led to our unit. Trask suggested the psychiatric discharge. People had already started asking questions as a result of your probe, so we left Afghanistan. We came back together when rumors of a very nasty group, the Shadows, surfaced, but we were revamped a bit.”

  “Murphy called it a think tank with muscle.”

  “That’s right. We had almost carte blanche at a high level of auth
ority. The government was making progress against Al Queda, but was worried about unaffiliated splinter groups less easily identified. The Shadows were particularly dangerous. Their fanaticism went beyond the whole caliphate nonsense. They had lost family in drone attacks and wanted pure revenge against the U.S. They were run by a leader who had ties to the Pakistani intelligence service. We wanted to wipe out the Shadows leadership. The challenge demanded new strategy. You know how difficult it was to hunt down and kill Bin Laden, but he was an outlaw. The people we wanted were part of the fabric of society.

  “We had to draw the Doctor and his friends out. Our only leads were the contacts they had made trying to radicalize U.S. citizens. They had grown tired of seeing the FBI roll up amateur young radicals over stupid mistakes, so we decided to give them people who had military skills to organize attacks in the U.S.”

  “That’s where the Marzak twins came in,” Hawkins said.

  “That’s right. The Marzaks had been on the fringes of Arrowhead, taking jobs no one else had the stomach for. They made it known to the Shadows that their skills were for hire. The Shadows wanted proof, so the twins performed an assassination on one of their enemies as a demonstration.”

  “A marketing demo?”

  “A good description. It worked, and the Shadows formed a connection with the Marzaks as we planned. But they were skittish. We were going round and round. The Marzaks attempted to lure them with a ruse called the Prophet’s Necklace, but they were still suspicious. It seemed the whole thing would fall apart. We needed to think outside the box.”

  “Dr. Everson provided you with a path when her research uncovered the location of the Prester John treasure.”

  “Correct. We knew they would be intrigued by the symbolic value of the treasure and the emerald scepter in particular.”

  “Where did Saleem figure in this?”

  “A useful fool. The ISI had sent him to the U.S. as a spy. Professor Saleem related the odd little story he had heard from his colleague to his cousin at ISI, who in turn told his contacts in the Shadows. The emerald scepter was like a piece of the True Cross, something mystical and powerful they could use to recruit new followers. The treasure would buy weapons and foot-soldiers.”