Blackmail

54 WASHINGTON, D.C.

Seated at his desk in the Oval Office, the president hung up the phone, then turned sideways in his chair, looking across the south lawn as the early morning sun illuminated the rose garden’s red, pink, and white flowers. Deep in thought, he smoothed his blue tie against his white shirt, failing to notice that his tie, a gift from the first lady, matched the color of the drapes and the presidential seal on the rug.

The president’s telephone discussion with CIA Director Cherry had been short and nondescript, the details of their conversation deliberately vague. The continental security summit in Moscow had wrapped up and the operation was on track. In a few hours, if everything went as planned, the detonator disarm code would be obtained and the president would give the order, placing thousands of men and women in the military in harm’s way. There would be a significant loss of life, SecDef McVeigh had explained: hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans dead. It was a decision the president did not take lightly, but one he had already made. The United States could not sit by and let Russia annex portions of two sovereign countries.

The president pressed the intercom button on his phone, directing his executive assistant to get Prime Minister Susan Gates on the line. With the assistance of the British prime minister, the stalling tactics had worked, pushing off the votes on the resolutions authorizing the use of NATO force to expel Russia from Ukraine and Lithuania.

“Mr. President.” The voice of his executive assistant emanated from the phone’s speaker. “I’ve got Prime Minister Gates on the line.”

The president picked up the phone, and after thanking Sue for her assistance within NATO, he broached the sensitive subject, informing her that the United States would go it alone, attacking Russian forces within a few hours if things went as planned. Once the order was given and the attack imminent, the United States’ permanent representative to NATO would inform the remaining NATO countries of the U.S. military response.

As the president prepared to conclude his conversation with Minister Gates, he considered revealing plan B, the second phase of the campaign. However, it was a delicate operation, its success dependent even more on secrecy. He decided to leave that part out.

The president hung up, then checked his watch. Evening was approaching in Moscow, and with it, the reception where Elena Krayev would meet Boris Chernov, and the one obstacle standing between them and the detonator disarm code would be overcome.