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War with Russia

“The National Guard in Rezekne should be ready by midnight on the twentieth.”

“Do what you can to speed things up.” Balderis turned to the Land Forces commander next to him. “I’m taking nothing for granted.”

He looked at the Chief of Staff. “And our Special Forces, the Special Tasks Unit? I want them ready in Ādaži as my special reserve. They’re to be prepared for immediate tasking, whether we’re faced with a landing in Riga or an invasion across the border—or both. Make sure they’ve got some helicopter lift if they’re needed.”

He looked at Morland again. “And it’s important you maintain close contact with them. They may also need your help.”

Morland clocked that. If it all went to hell in a handcart that’s where his team needed to be. Any professional soldier always needs to think through the “what if” question, even if the “what if” sounds far-fetched. These men and women were in deadly earnest, even if the rest of the world was downplaying events up here. Morland decided they’d keep their large “bergen” rucksacks packed and weapons handy; as they might, after all, end up spending more time in the forests than they had expected to. Just as well that he and the team had spent the last three weeks in Ādaži getting acclimatized.

“Sir, I’m sorry to disturb you.” It was Balderis’s MA, his Military Assistant, at his shoulder. “Admiral Howard, the SACEUR, is on the line from Washington. He’s about to see the President and is keen to talk to you before he does.”

“Hold the briefing,” said Balderis. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes. This is important.”

He left the room for his office, signaling Morland and Krauja to join him.

He entered the outer office and turned to his MA. “Put the call through to me and then listen in on speaker. I want Captain Morland and Miss Krauja to listen in as well.”

He then went through to his inner office to take the phone call, but was back out again in moments as there was no call. The phone was dead.

They checked the other phones. Dead too. On the MA’s computer screen a document he had been working on started to devour itself. Then the screen went black. As did all the computer screens.

They tested the connections. Switched off the machines, unplugged and switched them on again. Nothing.

Five minutes later the Commander of the Joint Forces HQ burst in looking worried. He spotted the General and gave him a quick salute. “Sir, all computers and phones in the HQ have crashed. We suspect a cyber-attack. We’re implementing the cyber defense plan and reversionary modes. We’ll also send an advance party to open the reserve HQ in the old Soviet bunker at Ligatne.”

“You get on with that and get the message out to push on with the mobilization with all speed. I’m heading back to the Ministry of Defense.” He looked next at Morland. “Have you got comms?”

“Yes, General. Inmarsat VTC and secure phone, to anywhere in the world. Back at the embassy.”

“Come with me now to the MOD. You’ll get a picture of what is happening and then I want you to get the message to the UK and the US. At this moment you may be our best link with the outside world.” Balderis strode out of the building to his waiting car.

Two hours later they were in the Ministry of Defense in Valdemara Street in the center of Riga, a few blocks from the scene of yesterday’s rioting and still littered with burned-out cars and the smashed windows of looted shops. Everywhere there was chaos. None of the traffic lights were functioning and, as cars blocked every intersection, they had left the vehicles and walked the last couple of miles through streets crowded with confused and worried people trying to get home.

In the Defense Ministry, there was a sense of order and purpose—despite the blank computers and silent phones. Balderis called on the Defense Minister and after updating him, returned to his office. Reports came in by any means possible; bike, runner, or walked by messenger across the city from other ministries and key national infrastructure. What was becoming ever clearer was that this was a cyber-attack on a massive scale and all national infrastructure had crashed. The electricity grid had shut down, the flow of natural gas had stopped, financial transactions rerouted or ceased altogether, telecommunications disrupted, air-traffic-control radars blank and the airport shut down. In the streets there was a sense of resignation. And anyway, people were still in shock from the unexpected violence of yesterday’s riot.

Calmly, Balderis took it all in, then turned to Morland.

“Captain, I think you have the general picture? Now, please be so good as to send a detailed report to your country and ask them to pass it on to NATO and the United States of America. There can be no question. Latvia is under attack and we need immediate NATO support.”