Martial Law Read Free

plan calls for transparency and freedom of information while China relies upon state control over information in cyberspace. So far, China and the U.S. have restricted their cyber activities to military and economic espionage, rather than other forms of cyber attacks that might give rise to an act of war.”
    “What about the Russians then?” asked Governor Christie. “They’re just as bad as the Chinese.”
    “The Russians are notorious for using criminal groups and other hackers with no clear links to the Russian Government,” replied Sarge, taking in a deep breath. “Russia is well known for its military mentality. Remember the cold war? It has taken nearly a decade for nations to realize the true threat of cyber warfare. Today we’re dependent on computers. Russia opened the eyes of the world to the looming threat of cyber warfare after their attacks on Estonia in’07. Now, Russia’s state-sponsored cyber forces have opened up a new front in cyber warfare. Cyber attacks and cyber weapons are now recognized as strategic arms and useful offensive weapons.”
    “Do you believe the Russians could use a cyber attack as a preemptive strike against us?” asked Governor Christie.
    “It wouldn’t be the first time the Russians used cyber warfare as a precursor to war.”
     

PART ONE

Night of Terror
     

Chapter 1
    Saturday, September 3, 2016
    9:10 p.m.
    73 Tremont
    Boston, Massachusetts
     
    “Malcolm, call it off! Call them now,” screamed John Morgan, showing sheer panic for the first time in his life. Morgan was a man who insisted upon perfection. His life was full of calculated decisions, comprehensive planning, and flawless implementation. How could I miss this? How could I overlook the safety of my precious daughter, my only family, my legacy?
    Malcolm Lowe, Morgan’s longtime assistant, fumbled through his pockets, clearly overcome with nervousness. Morgan yanked the receiver off his desk phone and hit speed dial in an attempt to call Abigail.
    It repeatedly rang—no answer. “Where is she, Malcolm?”
    “She’s giving a speech in downtown Tallahassee somewhere.”
    Morgan reset the phone and hit the speed-dial button of Abigail’s chief of staff, Rhona Jacobs. After several rings, Morgan heard the sound of applause and the faint voice of Jacobs answering hello .
    And then the line was dead. The lights went out. Darkness descended over the city of Boston and much of America. It was 9:11, by design .
     

Chapter 2
    September 3, 2016
    9:10 p.m.
    Tucker Civic Center
    Downtown Tallahassee, Florida
     
    Freshman Senator Abigail Morgan from Massachusetts was fulfilling her role as vice presidential nominee on the Hillary Clinton for President ticket admirably. The choice of a running mate was a shady, backroom process that rarely saw the light of day. Abbie’s fate was sealed during just such a meeting between her father and former President of the United States Bill Clinton. The agreement between the men was the result of blackmail as much as political expediency.
    As Abbie began to perform on the campaign trail, the Democratic presidential nominee was given full credit for making the first great decision of her possible presidency. In short, Abbie was a tremendous benefit and provided a much-needed boost to a floundering campaign. Abbie’s libertarian-leaning politics coupled with her spotless report card following a rigorous vetting process allowed her to avoid the rancor and negativity that had surrounded American campaigns in the last several decades. The Clinton-Morgan combination became known as the best-rounded political ticket in several presidential campaign cycles and appealed to those four to six percent of the undecided electorate who determined close elections.
    As a result, Abbie became the campaign workhorse. Her carefully choreographed schedule typically involved a breakfast meet-and-greet, followed by a day of campaign activities that traversed several cities or states. This evening