The microbreweries were known for their deep amber coloring and strong lager flavor, much in the tradition of German cellar beers. Throughout the city were outdoor restaurants and cafés that were often filled despite the weather. The locals were used to the colder temperatures of wintertime, and their Nordic blood enabled them to brave the winter without complaint.
It was an unusually warm day, and the Jorgensen brothers made a rare appearance in town. Over the decades, the Jorgensen family remained in Castle Bariloche for the most part, preferring privacy over the opportunity to comingle with others.
Henry and Derek Jorgensen were in good spirits, so much so that Derek offered to drive the two into town to partake of the local cuisine and a mug of beer. Escorted by two discreet security personnel in a lead and trailing vehicle, they made their way to Centro Civico Bariloche, a local landmark known for its Alpine-inspired architecture, museums, and open-air cafés.
The men were not recognized as they were shown to a table. They’d been disciplined over the years to live in the community but not be a part of it. Maintaining this privacy served them well as their family, and those whom their mother had assisted to flee Germany at the end of World War II, had been hunted.
It had become the mission of many to take up Nazi hunting. The stated goal was to bring those responsible for the millions of deaths in the concentration camps to justice. As the members of the Nazi party aged and the SS died off, the Nazi hunters turned their sights on the families. Even the children of the former Nazi party officials were held accountable for the sins of their fathers. They weren’t prosecuted, as they committed no crimes, but in modern times, they were persecuted for the blood that ran through their veins.
The Jorgensen sisters had the foresight to shield their families and the ill-gotten gains they’d managed to retrieve from the Swiss banks. As the twentieth century became a distant memory, the world forgot about how many global corporations had Nazi roots.
Continental Automotive, manufacturers of tires and automobiles, had played an integral role in Hitler’s war machine. German companies like Volkswagen and Deutsche Bank revealed their Nazi connections over the years. Even non-German concerns like IKEA had Nazi connections.
The Jorgensen sisters’ carefully laid plans never exposed Knight Gruppe AG or its affiliated entities to the Nazi hunters or any government entity seeking reparations for the horrors of the war. As time passed, the Jorgensen brothers became more comfortable in their ability to operate in the open, expanding the family’s wealth into legitimate businesses that gave them an advantage in their overall plan of restoring Himmler’s vision of a reconstituted Reich.
As the two aging men sat alone and out of earshot of the other patrons, they discussed the upcoming attack on the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan. Then they turned their attention to their next options. Derek brought up the subject of supplemental attacks that did not involve sarin.
“Our Iranian friends have provided us the means to initiate cyber intrusions into America’s water infrastructure. It would pattern their successful attack on the Israeli water supply years ago. We could use a number of means to put fear into Americans so the government response could not be singularly focused on chemical weapons.”
“Do you have a team in place?” asked Henry.
“We have for years, but it didn’t make sense to initiate the cyber attacks without a much larger operation to supplement it. With the use of the sarin sponges, American law enforcement will not expect the alternative means of poisoning the water.”
“These attacks will focus on small municipalities, am I correct?”
Derek took a sip of his beer and nodded. “Terror can strike anywhere. Our friends in the Middle East tend to hit flashy targets, hoping to make a large media splash around the world. The cyber attacks I envision would not necessarily do that standing alone. Coupled with the continued use of sarin, it will place fear in the hearts and minds of all Westerners.”
“How will the cyber attacks work?”
“The small municipal water suppliers don’t have the complex protections built into their networks like large cities. Therefore, they are more vulnerable to intrusions. It’s quite simple, actually. Our people will dramatically increase the chlorine levels flowing to residential areas over the course of several days. By easing up the volume of the chemical, most will not notice the change in smell or taste.”
“Won’t the water companies react to shut off the water supply?” Henry asked.
“Yes, eventually. There are computer fail-safes built into the system that are triggered by the increased levels. When the pumps are shut down, the utilities will have to examine their systems, leaving residents and businesses without water for days. Also, those who become ill who don’t die will fill the local hospital beds.”
“The people will lose confidence in the civilian infrastructure and panic-buy bottled water,” added Henry.
“They will also demand their governments act,” said Derek. “Now, these coordinated cyber attacks throughout America will be coupled with a series of grander operations using the sarin. With our synchronized and organized disruption of everyday life, confidence will erode in law enforcement, medical care, and the slow government response.”
“The media will begin to ramp up the pressure on the administration to take extraordinary actions to protect the people,” added Henry.
“That’s where Remy will manipulate this weak president into setting authoritarian rule into motion. It will destroy America as we know it, crippling its economy and crushing its democracy.”
Henry leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Some might see the Chinese or Russians as the nations standing to gain the most. In the eyes of the Western world, they are both rogue and out of the mainstream because of their Communist ideologies. It is the largest, most financially stable democracy in Europe that will benefit the most.”
“Deutschland,” said Derek proudly.
“Yes, my brother. Deutschland will
