Countdown to Looking Glass (NCIS/DC Universe crossover)

Nice to hear that Brky2020

I think World War III will come, but that is just me thinking that.

Chapter 50
Monday, June 4, 2007
12:52 a.m.
Washington, D.C.

One could hear a pin drop, not just throughout Gibbs’s house, but throughout his neighborhood.

Gibbs gave himself a minute to get himself together. He gave everyone else another minute. Only then did he step forward, into the center of the living room, with all eyes on him.

“The clock is ticking,” he said. “Call whomever you have to, get your go gear prepared, then get some rest. We have to be ready to move out at any time.”

There was nothing else to say, at least not to the group. Gibbs went back downstairs and tried once again to contact Paula Cassidy. This time he got through. “Cassidy. What’s your sitrep?”

“I’m stuck in this fancy theme park. New America, Novamerika. Whatever it’s called, I’m stuck here.” Cassidy explained how she got stuck there. “There’s thousands of people here, Gibbs. Can you get McCallister to send something to pick me up?”

“I’ll try,” Gibbs said. He hadn’t been able to contact the director in hours. “In case you’re there for the duration…in case things get bad—”

“Things are already bad, Gibbs. There’s only one way this ends.”

“You in a secure area?”

“I’m…in what serves as the local police headquarters. I’m here with security guards, state police officers, agents from other federal agencies who got stuck here. There’s even a few Chicago cops—”

“I want you to look for a black ops complex, somewhere down there.”

“Look for a what?!?”

“You heard me,” Gibbs snapped, more on edge than he intended. “Look for something…crazy. Impossible. No matter how crazy it sounds, things get bad, you get your ass through it, understand?”

“Gibbs…what are you trying to tell me?”

“I can’t tell you any more on the phone. You have a way of getting messages on your phone?”

“Yeah. It’s called ‘texting’ and ‘email’.”

Gibbs ignored her sarcasm. “Watch for a text or email from McGee. It’ll explain more. Make sure you’re alone when you read it. And watch your back, Cassidy. Things are about to hit the fan.”

“They already have, Gibbs.”

“No, they haven’t really hit the fan. Not yet.”

2:17 a.m.
Arlington, Virginia
The Pentagon

Never in his career had Trevor seen the Pentagon as alive as it was right now.

The moment war was declared, it seemed as if every hallway and room had exploded with activity. Although the Pentagon was as high a level of a target as there was in the country, most of the people assigned to the facility were there, and most off-duty personnel were on their way. Trevor himself had been there for hours – he wasn’t certain as to the last time he had stepped foot in his apartment – working on his assignment.

Only General Lane knew what that assignment was: oversight of the ring complex.

Several years before, after Trevor was read into the existence of the rings, he was in his office preparing to travel to the Wyoming site where the first ring had appeared. The Air Force had taken apart the circular, ring-like alien device that appeared out of nowhere, and reverse engineered it; at the time, ten rings had been built, and representatives of the federal government already had visited other universes – covertly, of course. Trevor, and others, believed the rings would lead to one thing, and it wasn’t exploration.

While preparing for his trip, Trevor took a brief break and began clicking through the channels on his television set. Nothing appealed to him until he stumbled onto a channel showing a so-called ‘TV preacher’. As the saying goes, he went down the rabbit hole and watched two evangelical Christian networks for hours, focusing on the men and women who preached Jesus Christ, morality and politics (often mixing all three, or sometimes the latter two to the exclusion of Jesus).

What grabbed his attention wasn’t the message – it was the delivery, and the passion these men and women had. Regardless of whether or not they personally believed in what they were selling – and evangelism does have elements of salesmanship – the evangelists’ goal was to make the viewer buy into the message.

That’s when Trevor had his epiphany.

If the government would go as far as to keep these wormholes secret even in the event of an impending world-ending war, he had one goal: stay around long enough to develop a team of people who, at the right time, would go out and tell as many people as possible about a way to escape the coming doom. People would die – before and when the missiles struck – but, enough people would survive that the nation could eventually be resettled and rebuilt.

That was his idea. His government, and the military he served in, had other plans. It didn’t matter. As long as Trevor had the support of the right people, like Lane, he could develop his network and prepare it for the day things went to hell.

The network had grown to involve thousands of people from all walks of life, all heavily vetted and sworn to secrecy. Some were newer than others, replacing those who had died of natural causes, by accidents or by Spetsnaz. All of them knew their responsibilities and the risks involved.

Trevor began typing a secure email to a contact in Las Vegas: Sara Sidle, a crime scene investigator for the Las Vegas Police Department. Her team had encountered a ring while investigating a murder north of the city – right where the Air Force had placed one of the first artificial rings – creating a situation that Trevor had to move mountains to keep the investigators from permanently disappearing. Sidle and her team were among those leaving the Las Vegas area for the ring 34 miles NNE of the city, and Trevor wanted to check in with her while he still could.

He heard the ring of one of his secure flip phones in the top drawer of his desk, then reached into the drawer to take it out and answer it. “Trevor.”

“Colonel.” He heard Teague’s calm voice. “Operation Exodus D.C. is underway. I’ve spoken with the three Council members still in the city and as many of the ANCs as I can.” The Council of the District of Columbia was the legislative body of the District; the ANCs referred to the commissioners who comprised the District’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission and were neighborhood representatives. “I’ve spoken with several of the leading religious leaders. They’re all on board.”

“That’s good. I wasn’t sure they’d go along.” Trevor wasn’t sure that anyone in any city, town, state or territory would believe him about the rings, much go along with his plan to run to them once war broke out. Fortunately, his evangelists had gotten the word out around the country, openly verifying what had formerly been discussed only on the burgeoning Dark Web and whispered about in AOL and Prodigy chatrooms, and in basements and bars.

“That wasn’t much of a problem, Colonel,” Teague replied. “We’ve got some persuasive individuals on our team, and people are scared.” Some of Trevor’s evangelists had a zeal that would impress the likes of Billy Graham. The fear of nuclear annihilation, along with Trevor’s word that they wouldn’t be thrown into prison (“right now, the government has bigger things to worry about”), helped win over people. Not everyone bought in, although only a few ‘concerned citizens’ had reported the evangelists, none of whom had even been approached by federal agents or military officers.

“You still in town, Joanne?”

“At a secure facility, as they say. I had to order Roger to stay put. He wanted to go into Baltimore. That city’s completely collapsed. We’ve got two people we can count on when the local ring goes active – a pastor and an imam. Both are working together with some of the local police to secure the streets around the ring. God works in mysterious ways, I suppose.”

“Isn’t that the truth. Joanne. I need you to do something for me.”

“Of course.”

“Get me an audience with Leroy Jethro Gibbs.”

“You want to talk to Gibbs?”

“He’s on your team, isn’t he?”

“Well…technically, yes, but he has his own people to worry about—”

“I realize that, Agent Teague. I want to talk with him face-to-face.”

“Understood. Do you want him to come to the Pentagon?”

“No. I’ll go to him.”

“Colonel, aren’t you worried about repercussions?”

“Remember what I told you to tell your people: the authorities have bigger fish to fry right now.”

3:34 a.m. EDT
Atlanta, Georgia
WSB-TV

(The screen from the station’s feed is split: the left side shows radar of Hurricane Barry making its way up towards Atlanta, the right side shows local police trying in vain to ward off looters in the city’s downtown district)

--this just in from the National Hurricane Center. It has just issued a Hurricane Warning for all of Metro Atlanta and all of Georgia south of Albany and Jessup. It’s a tremendous storm, just downgraded to Category 3, but still formidable and dangerous—

THE WORLD AS OF 6 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME

NORTH AMERICA

Soviet forces continue to bombard Joint Base Nome. Some Soviet fighters and bombers have broken through to Fairbanks – where Fort Wainwright has been hit by a 2kt conventional bomb – and Anchorage, where fighters have hit both downtown and Elmendorf Air Force Base.

THE EUROPEAN THEATER

West Germany is a quagmire, the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies having to fight for every meter. Things aren’t much better in the Balkans nor in Turkey. The Soviets are finding things much better in Scandinavia – they’re moving easily through Finland in preparation for an attack on Sweden and Norway. The Soviet and Polish air forces are bombing the hell out of Copenhagen, while paratroopers land throughout the rest of Denmark.

THE MIDDLE EAST THEATER

From bases in socialist Iran, Oman and Qurac, the USSR and its local Pact allies launch an all-out attack on the oil fields in neutral Saudi Arabia. U.S., Saudi, French and Pakistani forces equally go all-out in their response. Naval, air and land forces are engaged in battle.

Syria launches an invasion of Lebanon. Iraq cannot support the Allied effort because it’s being besieged from two sides – Syria from the west, Iran from the east.

Through Swiss diplomatic channels, Israel sends a short and succinct message to Soviet-aligned forces and any other nation planning or considering an opportunity to attack the Jewish homeland: the Samson Option is on the table.

THE AFRICAN THEATER

Angola and the rest of the Luanda Pact begin moving into Zaire. This brings Nigeria, Algeria and the other African members of MEATA into the war. Uganda goes off script, however, and launches chemical missiles at Mandelaburg and Pretoria, attempting to settle old scores with South Africa and the Boers.

THE ASIAN THEATER

The Hanoi Pact forces told China to stay put minutes after Boehner announced the U.S. had declared war on the Soviets. Just over an hour into the war, a Vietnamese submarine sunk two destroyers in the South China Sea, believing them to be American. One of the destroyers was from Chinese Taipei. The other was from the People’s Republic of China. At the moment in Beijing, the Politburo Standing Committee is debating entering the war – especially with Soviet Far Eastern forces amassing in socialist Mongolia, near the Chinese border.

There’s no debate in southeast Asia, where U.S., Free Philippines and Australian forces go after Soviet, South Philippine and East Malaysian forces in the air and on the sea. Soviet advisors and the People’s Thai Armed Forces are losing the battle in rural Thailand against the newly restored Kingdom of Thailand (and their British advisors) operating out of Bangkok.

The Second Korean War has erupted. Allied forces have moved 30 kilometers north of the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea, but Seoul, Pusan and other South Korean cities are getting hammered by chemical missiles.

Soviet Red Air Force fighters are engaging with their U.S., Japanese and Australian counterparts over Japanese Hokkaido.

THE CENTRAL AMERICA/CARIBBEAN THEATER

Havana Pact forces – primarily led by socialist Nicaragua, with help from Cuban advisors – begin their invasion of Panama.

The U.S. and USSR go after each other throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and so far, the U.S. has the advantage. This hampers Cuba’s plans to invade the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay and launch air attacks at Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; Cuba’s role in the war changes dramatically after Fidel Castrol learns of an ‘uprising’ that has toppled the Communist government in the Dominican People’s Republic. Instead of listening to his Soviet advisors, Fidel Castro orders Cuban forces to pull away from confrontations with the U.S. and help the socialist brothers in Santo Domingo; of course, Fidel has a special forces team in place, ready to secure the Soviet missile bases throughout Cuba.

THE SOUTH AMERICA THEATER

South America is one of only two continents – Australia is the other – where Moscow has failed to establish a presence. The most influence it could wield was to threaten to topple Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez if he allied himself with the other side; as Chavez had been given the same threat by Washington, Venezuela had established itself as a leading neutral country, selling oil to all, allied to none.

Chavez is now dead, killed by KGB agents at 2:22 a.m. EDT. The country is now in chaos, as the CIA attempts to help secure key political and military leaders while the KGB tries to kill them off.

7 a.m. EDT

--This is the United Nations Radio Service, broadcasting in English via shortwave from Geneva, Switzerland.

Soviet and World Pact forces are now attacking Western forces around the world, despite last-minute appeals from the United Nations, the Vatican, and the governments of China, India and Switzerland to Soviet leader Mikhail Khalinin and American President John Boehner. U.N. observers in Helsinki, Finland report Finnish President Tarja Hillonen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen are missing, as are many members of the Finnish parliament, even as Soviet forces roll westward across the neutral nation towards Sweden and Norway.

Switzerland is turning away refugees from neighboring countries as the war's central and southern European fronts begin. U.N. observers report shots fired at protestors attempting to cross the border into the city of Basel.

In the Dominican People's Republic, Reuters is reporting that pro-American rebels have taken portions of the capital Santo Domingo, including the city's airport.

Eritrean General Secretary Isaias Afwerki has once more called upon Luanda Pact member nations to liberate the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, partly to unite his people as it joins Luanda Pact nations in aiding Soviet forces in the Middle East and partly to address concerns by his nation's Muslim minority over the fate of the holy sites--

8 a.m. EDT
Radio Moscow (English service)

--Attention. Moscow is speaking.

The Great Soviet Leader Khalinin, Marshal of the Soviet Union and Head of the Communist Party, has given a short statement on the war with the capitalists. Speaking to the TASS news agency, he says, and I quote, “The capitalist hunger for war and death has manifested itself in the open. We will not use the nuclear option as long as the West does the same. That allows for sane, rational people to pick up the pieces once the decadent westerners have exhausted themselves on the battlefield.”--

9 a.m. EDT
Washington

For the first time in far longer than Gibbs liked, McCallister finally called him.

“D.C. is locked down and on martial law,” McCallister told Gibbs. “The Mayor’s evacuated. The Council and Metro police are working together on an evacuatlon plan for everyone else. Meanwhile, only essential personnel are to leave their homes for any reason other than getting food or medicine.”

“We on that list, Director?”

“No, you are not. I am on that list, so I’m working.” Gibbs suspected McCallister was probably at his bunker at his Georgetown home. “You’re staying home. Be ready to move at any moment, though. There may be the need for you to do so.”

Noon EDT

--this is Wolf Blitzer, here at CNN headquarters in Atlanta. Here’s the latest on the war, starting with news from Europe, where the Danish government has apparently fallen to the Soviets—

--Tom, sources tell NBC News that U.S. bombers have dropped ‘bunker busters’ on the Soviet military base in Yanrakynnot, Chukotka and the Soviet naval base in Lavrentiya Bay. Both are less than 100 miles from Joint Base Nome—

--two Soviet fighter jets went down over Subic Bay in the Free Philippines—

3 p.m. EDT

--WSB has learned that FEMA officials have told Mayor Franklin and Governor Cox in essence that the city and state are on their own. This comes just as Barry, now a Category 3 hurricane, is about to descend on Atlanta—

--sources tell ZNN that there still is fierce fighting over Scandinavia at this hour--

5:27 p.m.

--CNN is now operating out of our studios in New York. Atlanta, where our main headquarters is located, is now going through the full force of Hurricane Barry—

5:30 p.m.

--this is the Voice of America.

Freedom fighters have overthrown the unlawful Communist regime in Santo Domingo and reestablished the Dominican Republic as a democracy. The military has aligned itself with the new government, which itself has declared its support for freedom and liberty—

5:45 p.m.

--TASS released another statement from Khalinin. Quote: “In terms the American cowboys will understand, ‘enough is enough'. The Cuban and Nicaraguan allies will send forces immediately to restore the lawful government of the Dominican Socialist Republic—

Tuesday, June 5

8:43 a.m. Central European Summer Time/2:43 a.m. US EDT
Nuremberg, West Germany
Flughafen Nürnberg (Nuremberg Airport)

Damon Werth, Corporal, United States Marine Corps
General James Longstreet, United States Army

A bar and restaurant at an airport terminal was not where Longstreet wanted to fight his war and definitely not where he wanted it to end.

Yet, there seemed to be no way out of his predicament for Longstreet, nor for Cpl. Werth, nor for the four airport security guards and the 34 civilians they were all supposed to protect.

The airport was swarming with Russians, who had all but secured the airport in some sort of blitzkrieg maneuver that shocked Allied forces in this part of West Germany. Longstreet and his people -- only one other who had any military experience to speak of -- were holed up in a kitchen, and there seemed to be no way out. Several people were heard praying for a quick, painless death and an even quicker one-way trip to meet Jesus.

Longstreet, despite the steep odds, had other plans.

"I need some Goddamned extraction AND I NEED IT NOW!", he screamed into his radio. "MAKE A WAY TO GET TO US!"

The Soviet ground forces hadn't proven invulnerable to NATO air attacks, and Longstreet was counting on them for cover while a CH-47 landed near the terminal. He probably wouldn't have authorized such a rescue mission, if he was the NATO commander at Stuttgart.

"Our pilots are getting their asses kicked, General," said the voice, from the NATO regional interim headquarters outside Stuttgart. "It might be--".

The line went dead, and moments later Longstreet heard men screaming outside. Werth burst into the kitchen.

"General. There...there was a flash, and then...I think there's been an explosion."

Longstreet knew what kind of explosion it was without seeing it for himself. "What kind, Corporal?"

"Nuclear."

3:10 a.m. EDT

--this is Bryant Gumbel here at ZNN. We’ve just received a short press release from the Pentagon and numerous sources have confirmed the legitimacy of the release. I’ll read it for you:

‘At 8:43 a.m. Central European Summer Time’ – that’s 2:43 a.m. Eastern time in the U.S., 11:43 p.m. Pacific time – ‘a nuclear detonation occurred in Czechoslovakia. NATO forces believe the explosion occurred near the city of Pilsen, which is close to the West German border and almost 110 kilometers west of the capital city of Prague. The detonation is estimated to be at approximately five megatons’. We have video of this from our sister network RTL in West Germany and this, of course, has been cleared by military censors under the Rock Act—

That was well written. You've captured a good pace and tone, and I found I couldn't stop reading it.

Thanks for the kind words Dan. I hope you like the last two chapters at least as much. 

Quick question for this board: the Pilsen bomb was 1200 kt - would the flash be bright enough to blind someone in Nuremberg, nearly 200 km away? Is it realistic to have people in Nuremberg looking in the direction of Pilsen screaming from blindness or fear (or something else) at the flash, or the mushroom cloud?