A Conspiracy of Bones (Temperance Brennan #19)(50)

I rose, made mint tea, returned to the new study, and tapped the keyboard. My laptop fired to life. The rectangle still taunted.

Frustrated, and lacking a better idea, I tried terms that had interested Vodyanov, apparently another conspiracy theorist. MKUltra Montauk Philadelphia Stargate Estonia.

I tried the address written on the crumpled scrap from the trench coat pocket. The address of Ms. Ramos’s building. Felt ridiculous. Those had to do solely with Vodyanov. Not relevant.

The only lights in the room were my screen and its reflection in the window behind me. I tried to think like a conspiracy theorist. Experienced no epiphany.

I glanced at my mobile. Recalled my conversations with Ryan and Slidell. My recent internet search.

Blinding synapse. A folded paper with hand-printed codes.

Holy shit? Could that be it? Might Vodyanov have frequented DeepUnder?

I scrolled through my phone’s newly stored images.

Typed “UATNOM1793.”

Nope.

“DALIHP2580.”

No joy.

My mind played games with the letters. Could UATNOM be Montauk backward and truncated? DALIHP Philadelphia? That made sense.

I tried RABUK1963, a shortened version of the name of the infamous CIA manual along with the date of its publication.

No go.

I focused on the numerals. Instantly recognized the patterning. The pair of complete four-digit sequences were two of the most common passwords in use: 1793, counterclockwise on a digital phone pad, using the corners; 2580, straight down the middle. Another frequently employed combo crisscrosses the keyboard, grabbing the corners.

I tried RABUK1973.

The rectangle disappeared. The page darkened and zoomed, creating the illusion of being sucked down a swirling vortex. For a moment, I felt disoriented.

Deep breath.

I entered a black hole in which belief in treachery, collusion, and deceit was the connective tissue for those who came.





17


SUNDAY, JULY 8

The name DeepUnder topped the home page in fiery red against a black banner.

Beneath that, in large block letters:

WELCOME! BE OPEN! BE ENLIGHTENED! BE CAUTIOUS!!!

Following that enthusiastic but somewhat menacing greeting, a paragraph explained the purpose of the site.

You are one of us. You have come because you seek the truth. We are here to provide it.

When governance fails—the politicians, judges, educators, and religious leaders—it is the duty of individual citizens to protect themselves and their families. Knowledge is the key to survival.

This site provides a format for truth to be shared. Truth about the government, academics, scientists, journalists, corporations, the military, the elite. Truth about collusion and greed. About those who would destroy our health, our country, our way of life. About those who seek to keep the complicity and duplicity from us.

Herein all is revealed and freely discussed. But be warned. The reality exposed herein is truly terrifying.

—The Architects of DeepUnder



“Those are most desirous of honor and glory who cry out the loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the world.”



Spinoza? Was the quote a clue into the mind-set of those responsible for the site? Or did the creators simply like the ring of the words?

A series of seven tabs ran along the right margin of the page. “The External Menace.” “The Internal Menace.” “The Menace Above.” “The Menace Below.” “The Watchdogs.” “The Enemies.” “Photos and Archives.”

I clicked through the first four options. Each opened a submenu listing further choices.

The first tab linked to conspiracy theories involving the takeover of the U.S. by outside forces. The second linked to theories involving homegrown plots. The third linked to theories about powerful people manipulating events for personal gain. The fourth linked to theories about the destruction of the social order by an uprising of the lower class.

Returning to “The Internal Menace,” I chose Sandy Hook and found a bulleted list of selections, including two chat rooms. Blocked from the first, I gained entrance to the second.

In 2012, before killing himself, Adam Lanza fatally shot his mother, then murdered twenty children and six staff at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The heartbreaking massacre received wide media coverage.

I found revolting dialogue questioning the authenticity of the incident. In one thread, discussants agreed that the bloodbath had been orchestrated by the U.S. government as part of a plot to promote stricter gun-control laws. In another, those posting were convinced that the incident was “fake news.” That the shooting never took place.

I sat in the dark, aware of my breathing, my fingers on the keys, my eyes on the screen. I wanted to slam down the lid and walk away. Instead, I returned to the home page and tried the tab labeled “The Watchdogs.” As expected, I was directed to a page listing conspiracy theorists.

Some were strangers. Some I knew. Gary Allen. David V. Icke, the genius behind the shape-shifting lizard-people myth. Alex E. Jones. Jim Marrs.

I tried a few. Each led to a bio page containing links to publications, interviews, photos, and, in some cases, media appearances.

John Robison was an eighteenth-century researcher of secret societies. Steven M. Greer was a ufologist, self-proclaimed contactee, and founder of the Disclosure and Orion Projects. Jim Marrs, an expert on JFK conspiracy theories, loved appearing as a talking head.