Freedom TM

a bold and reckless statement. You’re accusing trusted national security partners of gross negligence, Mr. Director.”
    NSA (pointing to the TV monitors): “This so-called domestic uprising related to the economy—Mexican drug gangs running loose, raping and pillaging in the countryside. Panicking the populace.”
    BCM: “This is what happens when economies collapse. Order needs to be restored before the chaos spreads. Private security forces are available and more palatable to the public than a government military force.”
    FBI: “These gangs—we’ve arrested heavily armed suspects all across the Midwest. They’ve murdered policemen and civil authorities—and more than a few of them have turned out to be professional mercenaries tied to defunct military regimes in Central America and Eastern Europe.”
    CIA: “Trained operators whose fingerprints we have on file.”
    BCM (raising an eyebrow): “Then you’ve worked with them before?”
    CIA: “My question is: who brought them
here
?”
    EndoCorp: “Most likely drug cartels, taking advantage of general lawlessness to make money.”
    CIA: “That defies logic.”
    NSA: “And what about money?” (Opens up a folder and tosses out reports like a blackjack dealer in Vegas.) “Financial houses controlled by your clients have been selling Treasury bills like crazy—you’re precipitating a run on the dollar.”
    BCM: “Our clients have a fiduciary responsibility to their investors, and quite frankly the monetary policies of the U.S. government haven’t—”
    DIA: “As if the U.S. government controls the creation of money! It seems the same private institutions entrusted with setting monetary policy were the ones who profited from debasing the dollar. No wonder the public is flocking to the Daemon network. The darknet credit is still worth a damn!”
    CSC: “That’s treasonous talk.”
    DIA: “Don’t lecture
me
about treason!”
    BCM: “Everybody calm down. Let’s stop throwing the T-word around. One man’s treason is another man’s patriotism.”
    FBI: “How do you figure
that?
”
    BCM: “The nation is under attack, and here we are arguing. We need to put our heads together.”
    NSA (glaring at him): “Yes. The United States
is
under attack. The question is by
whom
?”
    They all sat in bristling silence for several moments.
    BCM: “Certainly you don’t intend to stop us from defending our property? Or from maintaining public order?”
    FBI: “Who is behind the covert terror operations in the Midwest?”
    BCM: “Does it really matter?”
    DIA (looking to NSA director): “We need to declare a national emergency and mobilize whatever National Guard troops and equipment not already deployed overseas.”
    BCM: “You have a serious problem, gentlemen. Without immediatefinancial support, the U.S. dollar will collapse—precipitating the complete insolvency of the U.S. government. Picture Russia. Argentina.”
    NSA: “This is treason.”
    BCM: “A
multinational
corporation can’t commit treason. My clients have no obligation to America. Risk must be hedged.”
    NSA: “Get the treasury secretary on—”
    BCM: “Your government can create all the money it wants, but it will be worthless here and abroad. Without outside intervention the U.S. government will soon be a hollow shell.”
    There was silence for several moments.
    NSA: “What do they want?”
    BCM: “They need Army Regulation 500-3 amended to include private military contractors. And then they expect it to be invoked.”
    DIA: “You expect us to
suspend the Constitution
? Are you insane?”
    BCM: “You’re to stay out of the way while they deal with the Daemon. If you do so, global financial institutions will support the dollar—of course, there will need to be economic and social reforms put in place first to ensure a return to fiscal discipline.”
    The government half of the table looked like they were pondering violence.
    DIA: “Why are you doing this?”
    BCM: “My clients are simply defending their property—they own the genes being stolen by the Daemon’s operatives. They own the networks and software it has compromised. They own the global brands it has undermined. Representative government doesn’t have the will to defeat this threat.”
    DIA (to the NSA director): “Have him arrested!”
    The BCM representative gestured to the phone near the NSA director’s chair.
    BCM: “It’s your call. Try to arrest our people. Try to have themilitary interfere with