〃And its job is…what did you say？…'to secure technological superiority' for America？〃
〃Its job；〃 Trent said； 〃is to ensure that every major breakthrough in technology…be it the pact disc or a puter chip or stealth technology…belongs to the United States of America。〃
Trent took a deep breath。 〃Mr。 Cameron； I don't think I'm explaining this very well。 Let me put it another way。 The ICG's job is intelligence gathering or； as they call it in government…speak； 'intelligence convergence。'
〃Its job is to hoard valuable information。 To make sure that no one knows about it except us。 And the ICG will not hesitate to kill in order to achieve that goal。 Its job…its reason for being…is to ensure that certain information is for American eyes only。 Because in the end； the ICG has only one ambition： to keep America in the lead…way out in the lead… ahead of the rest of the world。〃
〃Uh…huh；〃 Cameron said； 〃and you claim it does this by inserting men into elite military units？〃
〃promising frontline military units is only one part of the ICG's overall strategy； Mr。 Cameron。 It's also one of the easiest parts。 Think about it；〃 Trent said。 〃The Joint Chiefs of Staff are part of the ICG。 They can ensure that men of their choosing…ultraloyal men； usually older enlisted men； sergeants； gunnery sergeants； the career soldiers…get placed in the right units。 And by 'the right units' I mean the rapid…response units； the frontline units that get to battle scenes first。 The Marine Recons； the Navy SEALs； the Army Rangers。
〃But having men inside frontline military units is only good for getting sudden things like enemy spy satellites that fall out of the sky or meteorites that crash down to Earth。
〃Look at it this way： A meteorite lands in the middle of the Brazilian jungle。 We send in the Marines。 The Marines secure the area and grab the meteorite。 Then； if something of value is found inside that meteorite； you eliminate the Marines who found it。〃
〃You eliminate them？〃
〃Think about it；〃 Trent said bitterly。 〃You can't have a team of high…school…educated grunts running around with the most highly prized national secrets…secrets that could put the United States twenty years ahead of the rest of the world… bouncing around inside their heads； now can you？
〃Hell； you don't need sodium nitrate to get that sort of information out of a low…level soldier。 You give him a few beers； a pretty girl； and the slightest hint that he has a chance of getting a blow job and your average Marine Corporal will be telling Miss Big Tits everything he knows about the glowing green meteorite he found on a mission in the jungles of Brazil。
〃Don't forget the value of these secrets； Mr。 Cameron；〃 Trent said。 〃The loss of a couple of foot soldiers does not even begin to pare with the value of a twenty…year head start on the rest of the world。〃
Pete Cameron interrupted him。 〃All right； then； how often does something like this happen？ The elimination of an entire unit。 I mean； it's got to be pretty rare。〃
Trent nodded。 〃It is rare。 I only know of it happening on four occasions in the last fifteen years。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃 Cameron cocked his head doubtfully。 〃Mr。 Trent； I see what you're saying； but something like this would require a whole network of well…placed people。 High…ranking soldiers who aren't just part of the Joint Chiefs but who are well placed in the bureaucracy…〃
〃Mr。 Cameron； do you know who Chuck Kozlowski is？〃
〃I've heard the name…〃
〃Sergeant Major Charles R。 Kozlowski is Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps。 Do you know what the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is； Mr。 Cameron？〃
〃What？〃
〃The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is the highest…ranking nonmissioned officer in the Corps。 An enlisted man； Mr。 Cameron； the highest…ranking enlisted man。 Chuck Kozlowski has been a Marine for thirty…three years。 He's one of the most decorated soldiers in the country。〃
Trent paused。 〃He's also ICG。〃
Cameron stared at Trent for a long moment； then he wrote down the name。
Chuck Kozlowski。
Trent said； 〃He's the guardian angel of every crooked soldier in the Corps。 Someone told me he even came down to Peru after my incident and personally escorted the surviving Marines…the traitors； all of them senior enlisted men…back home。 He reassigned them without even a blink。 I'm told he even remended one for a fucking medal。〃
〃Jesus。。。。〃
〃That's your network； Mr。 Cameron。 A network that has infiltrated the enlisted ranks of the United States Marine Corps all the way to the very top…to the extent that it even determines which units its men are assigned to。 But it doesn't stop there。 Like I said before； promising elite military units is only one part of the ICG's overall program。 The ICG promises a whole lot more than just the military。〃
〃Like what？〃
〃Like other sources of breakthrough technology；〃 Trent said。
〃Such as？〃
〃Well； for one thing； business。〃
〃Business？ You mean private panies？〃
Trent nodded。
〃You're telling me that the government of the United States has planted people inside private corporations to spy on them？〃
〃Microsoft。 IBM。 Boeing。 Lockheed；〃 Trent said； deadpan。 〃Plus； of course； all of the other major Navy； Army； and Air Force contractors； especially if they have contracts with other countries。〃
〃Holy shit；〃 Cameron said。
〃There are other places； too。〃
〃Like。。。〃
〃Like universities；〃 Trent said。 〃Universities are high on the list of ICG…promised organizations。 Cloning sheep… ICG knew about in 1993。 Cloning humans…ICG knew about it last year。〃 Trent shrugged。 〃It makes sense。 Universities are the cutting edge。 If you want to find out what's in the pipeline； it's best to put your people in the pipe。〃
Cameron didn't say anything for a full minute。
The sheer concept of an America…wide intelligence…gathering conspiracy made his spine tingle。 An octopus…like network； with its tentacles stretching out from a small boardroom in the Pentagon to all the corners of the country； penetrating every major business and university。 It was worth checking out some more。
Andrew Trent interrupted his thoughts。
〃Mr。 Cameron；〃 he said seriously。 〃The ICG is a dangerous organization。 A very dangerous organization。 It owes its allegiance to one thing and one thing only。 The United States of America。 So long as America wins； the ICG doesn't care what it has to do。 It will kill to achieve that goal。 It will kill you and it will kill me。 Mr。 Cameron； patriotism is the virtue of the vicious。 An organization that is prepared to infiltrate its own armed forces and kill its own men to keep this country's secrets safe is not one you want to mess with lightly。〃
Cameron nodded solemnly。 Then he said； 〃Mr。 Trent； do you have anything； anything at all； with names or something that I could…〃
Trent grabbed a sheet of A4 paper from the table beside him。
〃The results of my search so far；〃 he said。 〃Names； positions held； and rank； if any。〃 He handed the sheet to Cameron。
Cameron took it； scanned it quickly。 It read：
TRANSMIT MO。 767…9808…09001
REF NO。 KOS…4622
SUBJECT： THE FOLLOWING IS AN ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PERSONNEL AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE SECURE TRANSMISSIONS。
NAME
LOCATION
FIELD/RANK
ADAMS； WALTER K。
LVRMRE LAB
NCLR PHYSCS
ATKINS； SAMANTHA E。
GSTETNR
CMPTR SFTWRE
BAILEY； KEITH H。
BRKLY
AERONTL ENGNR
BARNES； SEAN M。 N。
SEALS
LTCMMDR
BROOKES； ARLIN F。 A。
RNGRS
CPTN
CARVER； ELIZABETH R
CLMBIA
CMPTR SCI
CHRISTIE； MARGARET V。
HRVRD
IDSTRL CHMST
DAWSON； RICHARD K。
MCROSFT
CMPTR SFTWRE
DELANEY； MARK M。
IBM
CMPTR HRDWRE
DOUGLAS； KENNETH A。
CRAY
CMPTR HRDWRE
DOWD； ROGER F。
USMC
CPRL
EDWARDS； STEPHEN R。
BOEING
AERONTL ENGNR
FAULKNER； DAVID G。
JPL
AERONTL ENGNR
FROST； KAREN S。
USC
GNTC ENGNR
GIANNI； ENRICO R。
LCKHEED
AERONTL ENGNR
GRANGER； RAYMOND K。 A。
RANGERS
SNR SGT
HARRIS； TERENCE X。
YALE
NCLR PHYSCS
JOHNSON； NORMA E。
U。ARIZ
BKJTOXNS
KAPLAN； SCOTT M。
USMC
GNNY SGT
KASCYNSKI； THERESA E。
3M CORP