Leviathan

IN A SHOW OF GOOD FAITH, I WILL TURN OVER TO YOUR GROUP AN ITEM THAT WAS LOST TO YOU SOME TIME AGO, ONE THAT YOU WOULD WISH TO RECOVER. I ASK FOR A TRADE, DR. COMPTON: YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE. THIS DEMAND MUST BE MET BEFORE THE DEADLINE MENTIONED IN THE COMMUNIQUe. THERE WILL BE ONE ATTEMPT MADE, AND ONE ATTEMPT ONLY. UPON FAILURE IN THIS ENDEAVOR, THE MANIFESTO DELIVERED TO ALL GOVERNMENTS WILL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY WITH EXTREME FORCE, AND THE ATTACKS MENTIONED IN THIS COMMUNICATION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN A WEEK'S TIME. DR. COMPTON, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOUR PRESIDENT CAN VALIDATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS MATTER.

LATITUDE 41.071 N, LONGITUDE [?]71.85706 W 0230 HOURS.

END COMMUNICATION.

Movement on the computer center main floor started immediately as technicians ran to their stations. They didn't have to receive orders from Pete to move.

"Connection terminated at oh-nine-twelve and thirty-two seconds--origin has been traced by Europa to the Eastern seaboard, location unknown," one of the white-coated technicians called out.

"Microwave relay station Greenland is the closest we can get to a trace. It dead-ends there," another said aloud.

"Get me the location of those coordinates!" Pete ordered.

Europa used the main viewing screen as she pushed the pirated communique aside, then brought up a satellite map of the United States. The view adjusted to the eastern half of the U.S. and then centered on Long Island, New York. It kept magnifying on a large object by the sea.

"Europa computes latitude 41.071 north, longitude [?]71.85706 west is Montauk Point, New York--specifically, the lighthouse," Pete's assistant said as he straightened from his console.

"Okay, let's start digging deeper on that trace; they had to have left more of a footprint than just the Greenland microwave relay." Pete looked up at Niles and the others. "Boss, I have a feeling that whoever they are, they have codes for some or all of the U.S. communication satellites."

Niles listened to Pete's orders and comment, then looked at the three people around him. "Alice, get all department heads into the conference room immediately. Captain, make travel arrangements for New York, fastest possible route. Plan defensively; we're dealing with a very shrewd criminal at the very least."

"Yes, sir. May I ask your thoughts?" Everett said.

"Captain, this is no coincidence. This is the same person who destroyed two levels of our complex, and obviously the one responsible for the UN message. Therefore, our priority is to damn well find out what it was they didn't want us to know on levels seventy-three and seventy-four. Let's move. We don't have a lot of time."

"That's not what I mean. You're not going to trade yourself for whatever it is they have, are you?" Everett asked, knowing that Jack would never allow the director to place himself in harm's way for something that had not been substantiated.

"I have every intention of meeting their demands." He looked at Everett and the others one at a time. "We need to know who and what we're dealing with, so unless we can find out something before tonight, yes, I'm going."

As Carl Everett met with Jason Ryan to decide how to proceed to this mysterious meeting, Pete Golding and Alice Hamilton asked for a meeting with Director Compton to deliver extremely bad news. They were shown into Compton's large office, where Niles was meeting on a video monitor with the president of the United States.

"I'm sorry, Niles, I would like to have the luxury of time, but I don't. I have ordered the navy to provide escort for all oil shipments heading to U.S. shores. The Russians, Chinese, and British are joining the effort. Not all vessels will be covered, at least in this first phase, because there are just so many already at sea. Starting tomorrow, though, no ship leaves Middle Eastern waters without guns surrounding them. As for regular commercial traffic, we are quarantining all ships in port and ordering those at sea to come home. The coast guard will try and get them in, but again, we can't protect everyone."

"We still believe that whoever was responsible for the sabotage here at the complex is responsible for the world threat. They want to meet, and will provide a good faith measure to attain that meeting--they want to trade whatever they have for me. They insist upon me being a go-between. I need your permission to proceed," Niles said as he rubbed his right temple.

The president sat silent for the longest time. Then he picked up a piece of paper from his desk.