“It may be unconnected with the Commanche sir, and unlikely as it is, due to the current rules of engagement, it may have been Commanche launching on another submarine… ” his voice trailed off.
“What action is being taken now?”
“Mr President, the composite light carrier group centred on HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Yokosuka three and a half hours ago and began taking on their full war loads. Their support vessels are topping off their stocks and they should be turned around and heading north in the next five hours. Their orders are to back up Hood and be in a strike position if called on. If they can get a look at the area of the sinking we may have more Intel. All Seventh Fleet vessels that have stocked and armed are standing out to sea. That order has been passed worldwide. The Hood broke contact with the Kuznetsov in order to transmit her message sir; she hopes to be back in position by this evening.”
“Thank you General, can you update us on the position of our reinforcement of Germany and the state of the movement of supplies to Europe.”
“Mr President, MAC, Military Airlift Command, is on schedule and although there has been some reluctance on the part of the main carriers to turn over their quota of aircraft for federal use, that is also underway. The first federalised shipping is taking on war supplies. 5th Armoured Division will entrain tomorrow at Fort Hood for Galveston and Texas City. Atlantic Fleet and 6th Fleet units are arriving to take up duties as convoy escorts” He paused before continuing.
“The Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Navy and the German Navy have between them seven submarines on station at the North Cape covering any egress into the Atlantic of Russian or Baltic states warships, there are surface ASW warship groups arriving on station as we speak.” General Shaw paused and looked closely at the president before asking.
“In view of recent events in the previously independent ex Warsaw Pact countries and what may have transpired in the North Pacific… Are there any changes in the ROE’s sir?”
After a moment’s pause he was answered with
“As we do not know what is occurring in those ports I have a local amendment. Before any open hostilities have occurred, any surface warship or surfaced submarine coming from there is to be ordered to return to its port. Any submerged submarine is to be attacked… I will answer to the UN if that does happen, I believe we have just cause… is that clear General?”
Shaw nodded and continued.
“Due to the threat still present to military targets by the suitcase bombs, the Air Force will be using several airfields abandoned by us in the reduction in force during the 90’s, rather than those that still exist. There are no PX’s or bowling alleys left but they are usable.”
“Thank you General… and now CIA, what you got in the situation in Eastern Europe?” asked the president.
“The Poles, Lithuanians and Belorussians have defeated the attempted coups in their countries but both report defections of units of their armed forces to the now pro-Russian countries on their borders. Those countries, like Russia, have otherwise sealed their borders. We believe we can trust the satellite images we have that show those countries are gearing up and uniting, I believe they will hold in place and allow the Russians to move up to them and they will then be in position to jump off westwards. Smaller than the old Red Army but if they came tomorrow we would be screwed sir.”
The president rubbed at his eyes and ordered a refill of coffee. It was a sign of his revised affections and current dependency on caffeine that he no longer drank from the White House china cups but from a mug bearing the crest of the United States Air force. Over the past couple of days the mug had been rotated with three others, Army, Navy and USMC.
“As of this morning all our consular and ambassadorial business in Russia is being dealt referred to the Swiss Embassy. Our consulates in St Petersburg, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg and the embassy at Bolshoy Devyatinskiy Pereulok have been closed.” He informed them.
“I will leave you to carry on in my absence as I still have the business of running the country… the one improvement in my duties these days is that I no longer have to smile for the cameras whilst meeting ‘Miss Hoocheekoo Falls Dairy Queen’ and the like.”
He surveyed those present and added.
“I can see I am going to have to fire you all and employ some ass kissers… you were meant to laugh at that!”
Sat beside the River Thames is the large glass, modern office building that is one of the centres of the United Kingdom Secret Intelligence Service. Thanks to Hollywood it is universally believed to be the address.
Referred to as ‘Box’ by some, and ‘500’ by others after the old postal address that was the only clue the public had of the location of the site, P.O Box 500. Thames House on Millbank is still the headquarters of Britain’s intelligence services.
There are no basement laboratories or proving grounds testing ballpoint pen flamethrowers though. What they do have however are intelligence gathering facilities beyond the abilities of a police forces own counter intelligence expertise and counter surveillance equipment to counter.
Marjorie Willet-Haugh ended one phone call and made another before taking the message pad she had written on and tore off not only the single page on which she had scribbled details but the top twenty pages. Spinning around in her large green leather swivel chair she fed the pages through a shredder and burnt the strips that resulted.
Turning off the M50 motorway Constantine followed Svetlana’s directions.
She wore dark glasses and her hair flowed like a mane over the back of the passenger seat where she sat with her stretch denim-clad legs tucked beneath her. She was reading from a road map purchased from a camping shop along with a few other items along with an Ordnance Survey map of the Forest of Dean. He glanced appreciatively at her, no longer wondering how she managed to breathe in jeans that tight, but glad only that she did.
Having telephoned their hotel from a public coin box they had paid the bill by credit card and mumbled about a family crisis preventing their return.
Both existed on a wardrobe that fitted into one medium sized case and two holdall's that they carried at all times. The case lived in the boot of their car.
Svetlana had listened carefully as the commissioner had spoken on the phone, weighing his words and gauging his honesty. She had ended the call to hold a council of war with Constantine. They had agreed to meet the commissioners contacts but on their terms. They would choose the ground and had called him back with their conditions.