Villain (Gone 8)

If you don’t get further orders from me, you will stop, stand in place, and refuse to eat or drink.

Thanks for listening, thanks for obeying, and don’t forget to tip your waiters!

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Operating under the emergency provisions enacted yesterday, the President has ordered the immediate shutdown of all social media, to include Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and similar services, as well as YouTube and any other peer-to-peer means of broadcasting or rebroadcasting of video or voice.

Any individual, company, or group knowingly broadcasting, rebroadcasting, or in any way aiding the person identified as Dillon Poe will be arrested and face severe punishment, to include ten years in federal prison and the forfeiture of all assets.

Classified: Top Secret

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Director of Homeland Security

Under the powers granted by the emergency decree, you are ordered to immediately make available any and all “backdoors” to your WhatsApp application.

Failure to comply will result in the immediate seizure of your business and the termination of any and all ownership claims, whether by you or by stockholders and investors.

This same letter will be sent to all developers of similar encrypted messaging applications.

Expedia regrets that at this time we are unable to accept reservations for flights or hotels in the greater Las Vega

s area.

47 U.S. Code § 606—War powers of President

(d)Suspension or amendment of rules and regulations applicable to wire communications; closing of facilities; Government use of facilities.

Upon proclamation by the President that there exists a state or threat of war involving the United States, the President, if he deems it necessary in the interest of the national security and defense, may, during a period ending not later than six months after the termination of such state or threat of war and not later than such earlier date as the Congress by concurrent resolution may designate, (1) suspend or amend the rules and regulations applicable to any or all facilities or stations for wire communication within the jurisdiction of the United States as prescribed by the Commission, (2) cause the closing of any facility or station for wire communication and the removal therefrom of its apparatus and equipment, or (3) authorize the use or control of any such facility or station and its apparatus and equipment by any department of the Government under such regulations as he may prescribe, upon just compensation to the owners.

SUBSUNK ALERT

Classified: Top Secret

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Chief of Staff, US Navy

Be advised that we have lost all contact with USS Nebraska last position within twelve miles of USCG cutter: Abbie Burgess.

NSRS (NATO Submarine Rescue System) is en route via C-5 aircraft from HM Naval Base Clyde (Scotland). Scheduled to arrive on-scene in nine hours.

F-15 aircraft from the 104th Fighter Wing (104 FW— Massachusetts Air National Guard) to provide air cap.

CHAPTER 20

Monster Surplus

THE FIRST ATTACK came on I-15, just north of the intersection with state highway 127.

Colonel Frank “Frankenstein” Poole was riding in a JLTV—Joint Light Tactical Vehicle—the replacement for the venerable Humvee.

Within the truck was a miniaturized combat control center, a mass of computers, radar, and communications equipment meant to give Poole total command of the battlefield. The JLTV monitored video from drones flying overhead, and above them jets, and above them satellites.