Line of Control

FORTY-NINE

Paul Hood was stealing a slice of pizza from his assistant's desk when the call came from Ron Plummer. Hood asked Bugs to have Bob Herbert join him. Then he hurried back to his desk to take the call.

"What have you got?" Hood said as he picked up. He heard the slight reverberation sound that indicated he was on speaker. Hood engaged his own speaker option.

"Paul, I'm here with Ambassador Simathna," Plummer said. "He has a proposal."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ambassador," Hood said. "Tell me how we can help you."

Herbert wheeled in then and shut the door behind him.

"First, Director Hood, I want to offer my condolences on the tragic loss of your Striker unit, and my government's appreciation for what they were attempting to accomplish," Simathna said.

"Thank you," Hood replied. The ambassador sounded a little too compassionate. He had obviously figured out that the team had not been in the region to help stop Indian aggression.

Herbert was a little more blunt. The intelligence chief made an up-and-down motion with his fist.

"Second, my government has a plan that may assist General Rodgers and his personnel," Simathna went on. "As I have already explained to Mr. Plummer, it will require an understanding with your government that details of the operation must remain confidential."

"I am not in a position to speak for the government, only my small corner of it," Hood said. "If you tell me your idea I will immediately confer with people who are in a position to offer those assurances."

Paul Hood was dying inside. Vital seconds and quite possibly lives were slipping away while he and Ambassador Simathna postured. But this was how the dance was done.

"The plan we propose is that your group proceed to a nuclear missile site that our military has erected in the glacier," Simathna said. "It is a remotely operated site with video cameras monitoring the interior. The Indian woman can make her broadcast from inside the silo."

Hood stared at Bob Herbert. Mike Rodgers was being invited to visit one of the silos Striker had originally been sent to find. The irony of the proposal was almost painful. What was difficult to process, however, was the dangers inherent in the plan.

"Mr. Ambassador, would you excuse me a minute?" Hood asked.

"Given the situation I would not take much longer than that," Simathna replied.

"I understand, sir, but I need to confer with one of my associates," Hood replied.

"Of course," Simathna said.

Hood punched the mute button. "What do your instincts tell you, Bob? Are they using us?"

"Man, I just don't know," Herbert admitted. "My gut says that the team needs to get to the nearest, warmest refuge as soon as possible. The more I looked at photographs of the glacier the more I started thinking they'll never be able to cross it without more gear and supplies than they're carrying. And the weather reports for the region suck. It's going to be around ten below zero before midnight. But I have to tell you, of all the places they could go, a Pakistani nuclear silo would be my absolute last choice."

"I agree with all of that," Hood replied. "The problem is we also have to get Nanda Kumar on-camera as fast as possible."

"Nanda, yes," Herbert said. "The problem is Mike and Ron Friday. If the Pakistanis get them on video there's no telling what bullshit story Islamabad might concoct. They could kill the audio, release the video to the news media, and say that Mike and Friday are there as technical advisors. How's that going to play in India, Russia, China, and God knows where else? An American general and intelligence officer working closely with Pakistani nuclear missiles?"

"They'd say we were in on the Pakistani operation from the start," Hood said. "I'm just not seeing any other viable options."

Herbert shook his head. "Nothing's jumping out at me either."

"Then let's move this along and just watch our step," Hood told him. "The first thing we have to do is try to get Brett on the line. Let's see if he can even contact Mike."

"I'm on it," Herbert said.

"I'll get the coordinates of the missile silo from Simathna," Hood told him. "Then I'll call Hank Lewis, Senator Fox, and the president and let them know what we want to do."

"You won't get support from Fox or the president," Herbert said.

"I know, but I don't think they'll shut the operation down," Hood replied. "We're already in this too deep. If Mike and Friday cross the line of control with the Pakistani cell, Islamabad will say the United States was helping them escape. That would be nearly as damaging."

Herbert agreed. He turned and wheeled himself into a corner of the office and punched the TAC-SAT number into his wheelchair phone.

Meanwhile, Paul Hood got back on the line with Ambassador Simathna. Hood turned off the speakerphone so his conversation would not interfere with Herbert's call.

"Mr. Ambassador?" Hood said.

"I am here," Simathna replied.

"Thank you for holding, sir," Hood said. "We agree that your proposal should be pursued."

" 'Pursued,' " the ambassador replied. "Does that mean you are also considering other courses of action?"

"Not at the moment," Hood said.

"But you might," the ambassador pressed.

"It's possible," Hood agreed. "Right now we're not even certain we can contact General Rodgers, let alone get him to the silo. We also don't know the condition of his party."

"I appreciate your uncertainty but you must understand my concern," the ambassador said. "We do not wish to give out the location of our defensive silo unless your officer is going to use it."

The conversation was becoming an exercise in hedging, not cooperation. Hood needed to change that, especially if he were going to trust Mike Rodgers's fate to this man.

"I do understand, Mr. Ambassador," Hood said.

Suddenly, Herbert turned. He shook his head.

"Hold on, Mr. Ambassador," Hood said urgently. He jabbed the mute button. "What is it, Bob?"

"Brett can't raise Mike," Herbert told him.

Hood swore.

"All he gets on the radio is heavy static," Herbert went on. "Sharab tells him the winds won't cut out for another five or six hours."

"That doesn't help us," Hood said.

Hood thought for a moment. They had thousands of satellites in the air and outposts throughout the region. There had to be some way to get a message to Mike Rodgers.

Or someone with him, Hood thought suddenly.

"Bob, we may be able to do something," Hood said. "Tell Brett we'll get back to him in a few minutes. Then put in a call to Hank Lewis."

"Will do," Herbert said.

Hood deactivated the mute. "Mr. Ambassador, can you stay on the line?"

"The security of my nation is at risk," Simathna said.

"Is that a 'yes,' sir?" Hood pressed. He did not have time for speeches.

"It was an emphatic yes, Mr. Hood."

"Is Mr. Plummer still with you?" Hood asked.

"I'm here, Paul," Plummer said.

"Good. I may need your help," Hood said.

"I understand," Plummer replied.

"I'm putting you on speaker so you can both be a part of what's going on," Hood said.

The ambassador thanked him.

Simathna sounded sincere. Hood hoped he was. Because if Simathna did anything to jeopardize Rodgers or the mission, Hood would know about it immediately.

Ron Plummer would make sure of that.