Edge of War

“Hers.”

Greene frowned. Josh could tell he didn’t like being corrected.

“But, Josh, you’ll definitely be there, yes?” said Greene enthusiastically.

“Well, yes, sir.”

“Ms. Duncan, I’d like you there as well,” said the president. “The media will be interested in your impressions. And how you got our friend out.”

“The SEALs played a part,” said Mara. “Two of them died.”

Greene looked at Frost. “The Chinese killed them, right?”

“That’s what we believe.”

“Then there’s not a problem with that,” the president told Frost.

“I don’t want to be giving away craft,” said Frost. “I think we should just produce Josh and leave it at that.”

“She adds authenticity,” said Greene. He looked over at her. “And she’s an attractive young woman. Ms. Duncan, hope you don’t mind my compliment. I’m afraid that’s how things are with the media. People will look at your pretty face and focus on that rather than your intelligence and resourcefulness, which I’m sure were the real reasons for your success.”

Mara had flushed. “Thank you, Mr. President.”

“Not at all. You’re the one who deserves thanks. And you, too, Mr. Lucas. I know you and your staff have been working hard on this.”

“Thank you.”

“Get someone from my staff to help Josh whittle down his speech,” Greene told Cole. “One of the political boys. Billy would be best. Jablonski. You know what? I’ll call him myself.”

The president walked to his desk, picked up the phone, and told the White House operator to get him William Jablonski.

Josh glanced at his watch. It was nearly 1 a.m. Was Jablonski still in his office?

“You’ll like Billy,” said Greene, looking over at them from the phone as he waited for the call to go through. “He’s a bit of a pill, but he knows his stuff. He got me through New York. And that took some doing. Don’t offer to buy him lunch though.”

“Josh,” said M?, tugging on him.

Josh turned to her. “What’s up, honey?”

“Josh,” said M?.

Mara leaned over to her and whispered something in her ear. They exchanged a few words in Vietnamese.

“She’s tired,” said Mara. “She should get some sleep.”

“We have a nurse who can take her,” said Cole. “There’s a bed all ready for her.”

“In a hotel?” asked Josh.

“My house.” Cole beamed. “My wife and I have two kids, eight and five. She’ll fit right in.”

“She only speaks Vietnamese,” said Josh.

“I have a translator coming,” said Frost.

Meanwhile, the president’s line connected.

“Billy,” said the president, his voice rising several decibels. “Listen, I have an incredibly important assignment for you… The hell with that. I’ll square that for you… No, that’s crap… Listen, I have a real hero here — a pair of heroes. Josh MacArthur and Mara Duncan. Josh witnessed the Chinese massacre of a village in Vietnam. Ms. Duncan rescued him from behind the lines.”

“There were SEALs involved, Mr. President,” said Lucas.

“SEALs, too,” said the president. “It sounds like a movie plot, but it’s real. I want Josh to talk with me Friday in New York. He needs a little polish. Not too much — it shouldn’t be Hollywood. Find him some clothes, too. Get Sara on it… Well, whoever you think can do a decent job. He should look like a scientist, though, not some wiseass rap star… You won’t have to do anything with her.”

The president gave Mara a wink, then told Jablonski that he would be hearing from Josh and Mara later in the day.

“No, you know what? Get up to New York. You can meet with them there,” the president told Jablonski. “And, Billy, this is quiet until the session. No advance notice, you understand. That columnist at the Times you have in your pocket — if he finds out about this before I step to the podium, you are going to be flailed and I’ll be using your skin as a bear rug at Camp David. Capisce?”

* * *

Mara watched the president, considering how to explain tactfully that she didn’t want to go public, since doing so would effectively end her career in operations.

It bothered her that neither Frost nor Lucas had pointed this out. Lucas especially.

The risk wasn’t just to her. Anyone who had dealt with her would presumably be in danger: guilty by association. She hadn’t been a spy recruiter, but a good portion of her work in South Asia had called for the use of aliases and other covers, and there would be a decent trail of potential exposures.

So why the hell hadn’t Lucas pointed this out? Frost, maybe — maybe — wasn’t completely aware of her resume, but Peter Lucas certainly was.

The president hung up the phone. Before Mara could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door. Turner Cole, the aide who had taken them there, stepped into the office and told the president that the NSC adviser and staff, along with the secretaries of state and defense, were waiting in the Cabinet Room.

“Good, very good.” Greene practically sprang from his seat. “I think we’re going to keep you two under wraps,” he said, pointing to Mara and Josh. “I just need the director and Mr. Lucas. Get up to New York, both of you.”

“Mr. President,” said Mara. “Sir — ”

“Mr. President, M? is very tired,” said Josh quickly.

“M?? Oh, right — well, of course. It’s past her bedtime,” said Greene. “Turner — are all the arrangements made?”

“Yes, sir. We just — we were getting a translator.”

“Well, where is she?” said Greene. He got up and started walking toward the door. “Come on now. I want this girl taken care of. Marty!”

The president disappeared through the door, calling for one of his aides. Cole and Frost followed him.

“Peter, I have to stay covert,” Mara said to Lucas as he got up. “If I go public, my career is over.”

“I’ll take care of it,” said Lucas. “Don’t worry.”

* * *

Josh stood, waiting with M? for the president to return. She pushed against his side, sucking her thumb, her eyes narrow slits.

“She’s got to get some sleep,” he told Mara.

“Mr. Cole is going to take care of her.”

“You think that’s okay?”

“Well — what else do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. She can — she could stay with us.”

“Us?”

“Me.”

“You ever take care of kids?”

The answer of course was no. And Josh couldn’t speak Vietnamese. Still, he didn’t want to leave her.

“Look who I found,” said Turner Cole, returning to the Oval Office. A young Vietnamese-American, his eyes drooping, and a woman with a small backpack followed. The translator and nurse, Tommy Lam and Georgette Splain, respectively.

The translator dropped to the floor, legs curled, and began talking to M?. She looked at him for a few moments, not saying anything. Then suddenly she started talking, words racing from her mouth.

“She wants more ice cream,” explained Mara. “Mr. Lam says he knows where they can get some.”