The Project 01 - White Jade

frightened people wandered aimlessly about . CBS switched to an interview with a panicked mother sitting outside what was left of the Ferry Building , clutching her child and sobbing.
    CNN was running a banner saying the country was under terrorist attack. Fox had a right wing talking head sounding off. Behind him was a background shot of the Twin Towers burning.

Chapter F orty- Nine

    " My God. " It was Hansen, the National Security Advisor.
    " Mister President. " General Holden spoke from the end of the table. " I recommend we go to DEFCON 3. We don ' t know who ' s behind this. This may be a set up for a larger attack. "
    " Mister President, may I interrupt? " It was Lodge. " Before we take further action I believe we should hear from Director Harker . "
    Here it comes, Harker thought. Lodge was anticipating political fallout and diverting thoughts of an intelligence blunder away from CIA and over to her.
    " Director ? "
    Everyone looked at her. She forced herself to keep her hands resting quietly on the table before her. A memory surfaced of her father, sitting in his big wingback chair in the den.

    " Never let them see what you ' re really thinking. "
    Her father reached for a glass of bourbon on the side table by his big, green chair.
    " When it ' s important, when the chips are down, you ' ve got to conceal your thoughts and control your feelings. It ' s like poker; you can ' t let the other fellow know what you ' re up to "
    Her father often seemed to confuse her with the son he ' d never had.
    " Yes, Daddy "
    " Stand up for what you believe in. Don ' t lie, but you don ' t always have to say everything that ' s on your mind. You ' re smart and you ' re going to go far. It ' s certain there will be times in your life when you have to know when to hold ' em and when to fold ' em. "

    She decided to reveal the Tibetan operation, before Lodge sandbagged her. It was time to hold 'em.
    Lodge was watching to see how she would handle it. To hell with him.
    " Yes, Mister President. Ten days ago we discovered a ranking officer of Chinese Military Intelligence was responsible for the murder of William Connor, the noted investment banker. This officer reports directly to General Yang Siyu, head of Chinese MI.
    " Large sums of money were taken from Connor's accounts and transferred to the control of General Yang. That money was again transferred to accounts here in America controlled by the Chinese Triads .
    " General Yang heads a group in China called the White Jade Society, composed of senior military and government officials. Analysis of intelligence indicates that this group is plotting a coup to install General Yang as the new leader of China. His man met several times with leaders of the Triads . I believe Yang is using the American Triads to create a diversion here while he seizes power in China . "
    Rice interrupted her.
    " Director, you believe a coup is underway in China and that these terrorist events are related to it? "
    " Yes, Mister President. "
    " That is a very broad supposition. "
    " Yes, sir. May I continue? "
    " Go ahead. "
    " Thank you, sir. William Connor was murdered for money, but also for a n old book in his possession. General Yang went to great lengths to obtain this book, which Connor had hidden. An attempt was made here in Washington to kidnap Connor ' s niece in an effort to learn where it was . Five Chinese agents were killed by one of my team during that attempt. "
    There was a murmur around the table. She had their attention.
    " We retrieved the book. Again, Chinese agents attempted to intervene. Two were killed, as well as a California police officer. We asked ourselves why this text was so important to General Yang. Translation revealed clues to the location of a deposit of high grade uranium ore somewhere in modern China .
    " We believed Yang wanted to find that deposit to enhance China ' s nuclear weapons program. The book pointed to a specific location in the Tibet Autonomous Region where directions to the deposit could be found.
    " The translation of the book was stolen by one of Yang ' s agents. That agent is in custody, as is another, deep cover agent we discovered embedded in the FBI. That informer contacted Yang's man and expressed concern about a possible attack here today. "
    All eyes turned to Westbrooke. He gave Elizabeth a hard look. I have made an enemy there, she thought.
    " Based on our analysis, I ordered a team into the field. We needed to know if a uranium deposit