on.
“They were hot on the trail of this Zakharov character and nearly got him…”
“But only succeeded in almost getting everyone killed,” Wentworth said. “SATCOM One News has agreed to keep the story quiet for now, but they won’t do so for long. I’m afraid the government’s liability in this incident is extreme…”
“Bull, George,” Chamberlain said. “Skyy would’ve gone anyway, you know that—she’s got a reputation to uphold. If Richter and Jefferson didn’t go with her she would’ve gone alone and possibly gotten herself killed right away in Sao Paulo.”
“The unfortunate truth is that Jefferson and Richter did go, which could lead many to believe that it was a secret government-sanctioned action,” Wentworth said. “We’d be forced to defend the decision, defend the task force, reveal the task force…”
“So what, George?” Chamberlain interjected. “Americans want to see the United States government act. Americans are being greatly inconvenienced and challenged on their own soil every day because of restrictions, government intrusions, a loss of freedom and rights; some are suffering. I think they would feel better knowing their government is out there with our best technology hunting down the terrorists.”
Wentworth fell silent and looked at the President. They all knew that the President hated long arguments in the Oval Office—he wanted each side to present their arguments and then shut the hell up and wait for a decision. The President turned to Chamberlain. “What’s the status of Task Force TALON, Robert?” he asked.
“I confined them to their training base in New Mexico indefinitely until my office completed its investigation…”
“An investigation which so far does not include the FBI, CIA, or any other agency except for the office of the National Security Adviser,” Wentworth said. “The execs at SATCOM One News are screaming bloody murder—they are completely incommunicado with their people. At best we’re going to make some enemies in New York. At worst…well, we’d start with false imprisonment, habeas corpus, violations of the First, Third, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments…”
The President looked suspiciously at Chamberlain, but apparently decided his actions, although extreme, were warranted. “I think the quicker we hush this thing up, the better,” the President said. “Robert, I’m disbanding the task force.”
“But, sir…”
“You can continue your investigation if necessary, but I’m going to turn the military guys back over to their units,” the President said. To Secretary of Defense Collier, he said, “Russ, you’re in charge of the task force personnel. If any indictments come down, refer them for punishment under the UCMJ; for the rest, issue them constant warnings to keep their mouths shut or else they’ll be cleaning up polar bear shit in Greenland.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Collier said.
“George, assist Robert on investigating what happened with the task force in Brazil,” the President ordered. “But I have a feeling these guys were just trying to do their jobs and they got a little overzealous. The FBI and civilians involved will still be included in the Justice Department and military investigations, of course, but they can be released immediately pending the outcome.”
“I agree, Mr. President. I’ll cooperate in any way I can.”
He paused for a moment; then he shook his head resignedly. “I think, given what’s happened with the task force lately and Mr. Chamberlain’s investigation into this Russian terrorist connection, it makes sense to hand off running the antiterror operation to other agencies. George, give your proposal to Victoria, let us staff it for a few days, and we’ll give you a decision. Robert will, of course, be able to add his input to it, as usual.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” the Attorney General said.
“Robert, you know I hate to go only halfway and turn around on anything,” the President went on, “but your task force’s actions leave me no choice. Complete your investigation, send any recommendations for criminal or punitive action to Justice and the Pentagon, then dissolve the task force.”
“Yes, Mr. President,” he said simply.
“Anything else for me?” the President asked. When no one replied, he asked, “What’s the status of my proposal for a declaration of war on terrorism, George?”
“Mr. President, I’m afraid it’s a nonstarter,” Wentworth said. “We simply cannot find any legal, legislative, or historical precedents for such a thing. For a congressional declaration to have the force of law, it must meet the basic legal structure: a victim, a crime, a loss, but more important a perpetrator. We simply can’t indicta…a state of mind.”
“The word I’m getting from the congressional leadership says the same thing, Mr. President,” White House chief of staff Victoria Collins said. “Your supporters say the American people won’t stand for any more hardships in their lives that declaring war on terrorism would certainly bring. Plus, if your request for a declaration of war is defeated in Congress, it would be a crushing defeat for you and your party, and they’re not willing to risk their political futures on it. Your detractors say it would be perceived as nothing but grandstanding on the worst possible level, and win or lose they would be sure to present it as inflaming the nation’s emotions for nothing but political gain. It’s a loser either way.”
The President turned to Robert Chamberlain. “Robert?”
“You know my thoughts already on this, Mr. President,” Chamberlain said. “I don’t care about historical precedents or the political fallout—we need to act to defeat terrorism, plain and simple. Sure, the American people are getting tired of the restrictions, hassles, surveillance, and intrusions—but I don’t think they would get so tired of it if the President and his Cabinet made an all-out commitment to defeating the forces that threaten their lives. If we don’t at least go before Congress and the American people and make the case for all-out war against terrorism, people will forget why we’re doing this…and soon, it’ll just be our fault for making their lives miserable, not the terrorists.”
The President nodded his thanks, fell silent for a moment, then said, “George, I’d like you to stay on it.”
“Mr. President…”
“Mr. Attorney General, instead of looking for precedents, how about let’s come up with reasons why we should set a precedent,” Chamberlain interjected. “Instead of finding out that no one’s ever done it before, how about some good reasons why we should do it?”
“When I need your advice, Mr. Chamberlain, I’ll ask for it, thank you,” Wentworth said acidly.
“That’ll be all, everybody, thank you,” the President said quickly, rising to his feet. Wentworth, Kallis, and Lemke departed the Oval Office silently, firing angry glares at Chamberlain.
“Well, I think you’ve succeeded in alienating just about everyone in the Cabinet now, Robert,” Victoria Collins remarked.
“What’s the use in even having a Cabinet if they won’t do what you tell them to do, Mr. President?” Chamberlain asked. “I understand this is no small task, but all I’ve heard so far is why it can’t be done. Why don’t you just do it and let the American people decide if they’ll accept it or not?”
“I want the entire Cabinet squarely behind me before I proceed, Robert,” the President said. “It’s getting harder to get there when you browbeat and insult them like that.”
“I apologize, Mr. President,” Chamberlain said. “I’ll stop antagonizing them. But I wish they’d show some backbone, that’s all.”
The President looked at his National Security Adviser for a few moments, then nodded noncommittally and went back to the papers on his desk. “Thanks, Robert.”
“Thank you, Mr. President,” Chamberlain said, and departed the Oval Office.
The President waited a few minutes, then buzzed his inner office secretary. “Bring him into my private office, please.” He went into the private room adjacent to the Oval Office and stood behind his desk. A few moments later the door opened, and the President straightened his suit jacket and smiled. “Welcome, Harold,” he said, moving around to the front of his desk and extending a hand in greeting. “Sorry to keep you waiting so long.”
“No problem at all, Sam,” Harold Chester Kingman, president of TransGlobal Energy, said. “Your staff made me very comfortable.”
The President motioned to a leather chair in the small office as a tray of coffee was brought in and beverages were served. “You’ve been briefed on the situation with these Russian terrorist suspects?”
“Yes, I have,” Kingman said. “I appreciate being kept informed very much.”
“We definitely believe the terrorists are targeting your company around the world, Harold,” the President