"Mr. President, I have a preliminary report," Kate said.
"Go ahead."
"The base in Afghanistan has made contact with all but two of the teams. The first we know about, the second was in a village four miles away. Both teams, one Navy SEAL, one Agency, comprising a total of nine men and two women, are presumed dead. All the other teams witnessed the detonation from a greater distance and from cover and have reported no casualties. They have all withdrawn to their base camps in Afghanistan and will be choppered out during the next twelve hours or so. An estimated one hundred to one hundred fifty villagers are presumed dead."
"I've heard nothing from Pakistan," Will said. "Has their government been in contact with anybody there?"
"Our station in Islamabad has canvassed its sources, and their estimate is that the Pakistani government believes that the people in possession of the warhead inadvertently set it off. It appears that we can, if you wish, deny involvement."
"No. I won't do that," Will said.
"There is one other report that you may find interesting," Kate said. "One of our sources has reported a gathering of more than a dozen top Al Qaeda and Taliban leaders in the region. There is some reason to believe that they may have been meeting in the village where the warhead detonated."
"I want every effort made to confirm that, and I want names as soon as possible," Will said.
"We're working on it, Mr. President."
"Call me back when you have more details," Will said. "I'm going to ask for network time at eight."
"Yes, sir."
Will hung up and turned to Kitty. "I want five minutes on all the networks at eight o'clock," he said.
"I'm on it," Kitty replied.
AT SEVEN-THIRTY A. M., Will spoke to President Khan of Pakistan. It was a tense conversation, but Khan seemed to grasp that what had occurred may have solved more problems for him than it created. He told Will that he had already dispatched troops. At eight a.m., Will broadcast from a conference room at the hotel. In a somber voice, he divulged every detail at his disposal, except the names of the dead, pending notification of their families.
At noon, as he was returning to Washington to pick up Kate, Will received another call from President Khan, confirming half a dozen names of those leaders killed in the detonation, and Will released them to the press on Air Force One.
He spent the remainder of the flight speaking to the families of the American dead.
63
THAT AFTERNOON, LANCE CABOT GOT INTO THE ELEVATOR AND PRESSED THE basement button. As the doors were closing, Katharine Rule Lee stopped them and got on board.
"Good afternoon, Director."
"Good afternoon, Lance."
Lance glanced at his watch. "I haven't often seen you leaving this early."
"My husband and I are flying down to Georgia, so we can vote bright and early for the TV cameras tomorrow morning."
"Oh, yes. From what I hear, his prospects have recently improved."
"That's what I hear, too," Kate replied.
"I wish you both the very best of luck," Lance said.
"Thank you," she replied. "Lance, would you tell me something, please?"
"Of course, Director."
"Is Teddy Fay still dead?"
Lance blinked. "Oh, yes, Director," he managed to say.
Then the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, and Kate got off. Lance continued toward the basement. He pressed his forehead against the cool doors and heaved a great sigh.