‘That surprises me,’ Webster said, though it didn’t.
‘They think the United States is in league with the Sunnis and the king.’
‘We’ve always given that impression. We’ve had a long history of agreeing to terms with these people until our presence in Iraq to shore up the Shias.’
‘I know, but now there’s some rumours flying around that the United States plans to take advantage of all the confusion going on to make a land grab.’
‘We both know that’s not true.’ But it was exactly what Webster had intended.
‘Not entirely,’ the president said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ve heard rumours that some of the domestic corporations are planning to use mercenary units to protect their assets over there.’
‘You could hardly blame them.’ Webster watched as a large freighter blew up in the harbour. ‘Neither Prince Khalid nor his opponents care about collateral losses. Those corporations are going to lose millions by morning. Those losses won’t mean much to the Saudis. Their economy will still be stable. They have what everyone wants, and nearly all of that is safely underground. After the fires go out and the dust settles on this, the corporations will line up again to pay for rights to drill.’
‘Only for the moment,’ Waggoner said. ‘That will change as soon as we no longer need their oil.’
‘Things always change.’
‘But until that time, we need to salvage as much of this situation as we can.’
A military helicopter flew uncomfortably close to the building. Hamilton and Napier drew back from the floor-to-ceiling glass. In the next moment, the helicopter fired a series of rockets that reduced the street in front of the hotel into piles of flaming rubble. The cannonade vibrated through the building under Webster’s feet. Smoke drifted up and momentarily obscured the battlefield outside the glass.
Waggoner swore. ‘Is that your hotel?’
Webster glanced at the television screen and saw that the view was indeed of the hotel. He wondered if Vicky DeAngelo’s people had followed a group of Shia there or if they’d returned in hopes of being granted asylum.
In the next second, a wave of fire washed over the front of the building. The heat immediately killed the landscaped grounds in front of the hotel. Only a moment later the expensive façade scorched and carbon covered the glass for a short time before the windows cracked and fell apart.
‘Yes,’ Webster said. ‘That’s our hotel.’
‘Elliott, you can’t take chances like this. You need to get yourself and those people out of there now.’
‘And where would we go?’
‘I’ve got a fleet standing by. They’ve got men on board who can get you out of there.’
‘I’m not convinced we’re through here yet.’
‘The borders of that country are becoming free-fire zones.’
‘I know, but if the United States sends a military force into this country – even to rescue the vice-president – those free-fire zones are going to turn into a conflagration that will sweep across the Middle East. Our actions will be interpreted by the Sunnis as supporting the Shia. The Shia will interpret those actions as a lack of faith and weakness in the Sunnis.’ Webster paused. ‘We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, Mike. I don’t want to have to make any decisions prematurely.’
‘Your hotel is on fire,’ Waggoner said, ‘if anything, you’re making decisions too late.’
‘A lot of American people work in this country,’ Webster said. ‘Our people, Mike. People you and I swore to defend when we took office. I can’t bail out on them.’ He paused, knowing he was hitting every narcissistic patriotic button Waggoner had. ‘If we decide to get me out of here, I want to get all the Americans out. When we finish our terms, I want to go out with a bang not a frightened whimper. I don’t want to be remembered as the vice-president who tucked his tail between his legs and ran out of Saudi Arabia to leave his fellow countrymen to die.’
Waggoner was silent for a time.
On the television, the lower storey of the hotel was suddenly filled with a snowstorm. Webster knew that the fire-suppression system had been triggered. Saudi military units rolled two fire trucks towards the hotel. Within seconds, the teams had offloaded hoses and sprayed water over the fire.
‘Do you know what you’re asking, Elliott?’ Waggoner asked.
‘A way to keep our people safe. Just like we promised.’
‘To do that, we’d have to create an American beachhead somewhere near your location. We’d have to control real estate over there. The Saudis – Prince Khalid – won’t like that because it’ll look as though we’re undercutting his authority and we don’t have faith in him.’
‘I know. But that may be what’s called for. As far as the prince’s authority, there are a lot of people flaunting it right now.’ Webster didn’t intend to settle for anything less than what he wanted.
‘And you don’t think that’s going to cause an international incident?’
‘On the contrary. I know it will. I don’t want to do it unless we have to. And if it should come to that, we need to make a statement. We may be buying the oil from this country, but that also counts as a huge investment.’ They would have to make that statement. Webster was going to see to it. Spider would make certain of it. ‘If the Saudis can make any headway in this, if they can contain the violence – soon – then it’s not going to matter. I feel certain Prince Khalid will honour his promise to take care of our people. But if he can’t, we need to be ready to take care of them ourselves.’
‘You’re talking about an invasion force.’
‘No. An invasion force comes to stay or to plunder. I just want to get our people out with as few casualties as possible.’ That sounds positively noble, doesn’t it? Webster knew the president wouldn’t be able to resist the bait to out-grandstand him.
Outside, another series of explosions made the window shiver and rolled echoes through the building. Vicky wrapped her arms more tightly round herself and shivered, but she never stopped giving orders. Hamilton and Napier were also engaged on their sat-phones.
‘You know what I’m saying is right, Mike,’ Webster said gently, ‘and I know this is all scary.’ He basted his words with conviction. ‘We didn’t ask for the situation. If Prince Khalid hadn’t risen to power, we wouldn’t be here now. But he did, and he started this mess that’s currently threatening to swallow this country and has endangered our people.’
‘He has the army on his side. This engagement shouldn’t take long.’
‘That was said about Iraq. Both times.’
Behind the hotel, towards the heart of the city, more explosives ripped a naked skeleton of a building in progress to shreds. The steel girders collapsed and spilled into the street like a child’s game.
‘Look at the big picture over here,’ Webster said. ‘If we don’t step in, the Chinese will. They need the oil as badly as we do. In fact, if we don’t do something soon, they may view this as the perfect time to advance and grab a stranglehold. Once they’re in, Mike, you know they’re not going to be easy to dissuade. They have their own needs.’
The president sighed tiredly. ‘This is getting to be a bed of snakes, Elliott.’
‘It’s always been a bed of snakes. The snakes are just more prevalent at the moment.’
Vicky turned to Webster with a look of surprise. ‘There are unidentified aircraft flying into the oil fields. Do you know anything about that?’
Webster shook his head.
‘What was that?’ the president asked. ‘Something about aircraft?’
‘Do you have anyone out there?’ Webster asked Vicky.
The woman shook her head. ‘So far, Prince Khalid’s forces have managed to keep the fighting from reaching the oil fields. I didn’t think we needed anyone in the area. I’ve got a team en route that way now.’