"I find it hardly surprising our counterterrorist network was not tipped off in advance."
Alan Merger, the National Security Adviser, removed his glasses and idly wiped the lenses with a handkerchief. "My end struck out too," he said, backing up Brogan. "Analysis of our eavesdropping monitoring systems failed to reveal any hint of a potential cruise-liner hijacking and abduction of two foreign leaders."
"By sending George Pitt to meet with President Hasan, I sentenced an old friend to death," the President said regretfully.
"Not your fault," Merger consoled him.
The President angrily pounded the desk with one fist. "The Senator, Hala Kamil, De Lorenzo and Hasan. I can't believe they're all gone."
"We don't know that for sure," said Merger.
The President stared at him. "You can't hide a cruise liner and all the people on board, Alan. Even a dumb politician like me knows that."
"There is still a chance '
"Chance, hell. It was a suicide mission plain and simple. All those poor people were probably locked up while the ship was scuttled. The terrorists never meant to escape. They went down too."
"All the facts aren't in yet," Merger argued.
"Just what do we know?" demanded the President.
"Our experts are already in Punta del Este working with the Uruguayan security people," explained Brogan. "So far, we only have preliminary conclusions. First, the hijacking has been tied to an Arab group. Two witnesses came forward who were in a passing launch when they saw the Lady Flamborough taking on cargo from a landing barge. They heard crewmen on both vessels speaking Arabic. The landing barge has not been found and is assumed to be scuttled somewhere in the harbor."
"any idea on the cargo?" asked Merger.
"All the witnesses could recall seeing were some drums," answered Brogan. "Second, a phony report was given to the Harbor Master's office from the cruise liner saying its main generator had broken down, and the vessel would only run navigation lights until repairs were carried out.
Then, as soon as it became dark, the unlit ship pulled up its anchor and slipped out of the harbor, colliding with a private yacht carrying important South American businessmen and diplomats. The only fumble in an otherwise flawless execution. Then it disappeared."
"Hardly a slop job," said Merger, "unlike the botched second assassination attempt on Hala Kaniil."
"A different group entirely," Brogan added.
Dale Nichols spoke up for the first time in the meeting. "Which you linked directly to Akhmad Yazid."
"Yes, the assassins were not very careful. Egyptian passports were found on tke bodies. One, the leader, we identified as a mullah and fanatical follower of Yazid."
"Do you think Yazid's responsible for the hijacking?"
"He certainly had the motive," answered Brogan. "With President Hasan out of the way, he has a clear shot at taking over the Egyptian government."
"The same goes for President De Lorenzo, Topiltzin and Mexico," Nichols stated flatly.
"An interesting theory," said Merger.
"What can we do besides send a few CIA terrorist investigators to Uruguay?" asked the President. "What are our options in helping with the search for the Lady Flamborough?"
"To answer the first part of your question," said Brogan, "very little.
The investigation is in good hands. Uruguayan police and security intelligence chiefs were trained here and in Britain. They know the score and are most cooperative in working with our experts." He paused and avoided the President's eyes. "As to the second, again, very little. The Navy Department has no ships patrolling the ocean off South America. The nearest vessel to the area is a nuclear sub on a training exercise off Antarctica. Our Latin friends are doing fine without us.
Over eighty military and commercial aircraft and at least fourteen ships from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay have been combing the sea off Punta del Este since dawn."
"And they haven't found a clue to the Lady Flamborough's fate," said the President. What little optimism he had before was rapidly eroding into despondency.
"They will," said Merger tersely.
"Wreckage and bodies most certainly will Turn up," said Brogan candidly.
"No ship that size can vanish without leaving some trace behind."
"Has the story broken in the press yet?" asked the President.
"I was informed it came over the wire services an hour ago," Nichols answered.
The President folded his hands and clenched them tightly.
"Holy hell will cut loose in Congress when they find out one of their members is a victim of a terrorist act. No telling what kind of revenge they'll demand."
"The purpose of the Senator's mission alone is enough to cause a major scandal if it leaks out," said Nichols.
"Swinge that terrorists can murder international leaders and diplomats, with an army of innocent victims thrown in, and get off with a few years in prison," mused the President. "But if we play their gwne and go after them with guns blasting, we're branded immoral, blood-thirsty avengers. The news media get on our case and Congress demands investigations."
"It hurts being the good guys," said Brogan. He was beginning to sound tired.
Nichols stood up and stretched. "I don't think we have to worry.
Nothing was put down on paper or recorded on tape. And only the men in this room know why Senator Pitt flew down to Punta del Este to confer with President Hasan."
"Dale's right," said Merger. "We can come up with any number of excuses to explain away his mission."
The President unclasped his hands and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "George Pitt hasn't been dead a day and already we're trying to cover our asses."
"That problem is minor compared to the political disasters we're facing in Egypt and Mexico," said Nichols. "With Hasan and De Lorenzo dead too, Egypt will go the way of Iran and be irretrievably lost for sure, Then with Mexico - - ." He hesitated. "We'll have a time bomb ready to go off along our own border."
"As my Chief of Staff and closest adviser, what measures do you suggest we take?"
Nichols's stomach was attacked by a cramp and his heartbeat quickened.
The President and the two intelligence advisers seemed to be studying his eyes. He wondered if the stress that was twisting his guts came from being put on the spot or the thought of a looming foreign catastrophe.
"I propose we wait for proof the Lady Flamborough and everybody on her lies on the bottom of the ocean.
"And if no evidence is forthcoming?" asked the President. "Do we go on waiting until Egypt and Mexico, their leaders missing and presumed dead, arr taken over by Topiltzin and
Akhmad Yazid, a pair of crazed megalomaniacs? What then?
What course of action is left to stop them before it's too late?"
"Short of assassination, none." Nichols's hand nervously massaged his aching stomach. "We can only prepare for the worst."
"Which is . . . ?"
"We write off Egypt," Nichols said gravely, "and invade Mexico."
A heavy rain soaked Uruguay's capital city of Montevideo as the small jet dropped from the clouds and lined up on the runway. Soon after touchdown it swung away from the commercial terminal and rolled onto a taxi strip toward a cluster of hangars flanked by rows of fighter jets.
A Ford sedan with military markings appeared and led the pilot to a parking area reserved for visiting VIP aircraft.
Colonel Rojas stood inside a hangar office and peered out a water-streaked window. As the aircraft rolled closer he could see the letters NUMA across the aquamarine color scheme running down the fuselage. The sound of the engines died away, and a minute later three men climbed out. They quickly piled into the Ford to escape the deluge and were driven inside the hangar where Rojas waited.
The Colonel stepped to the office door and studied them as they were ushered across the vast concrete floor by a young lieutenant who was his aide.
The short one with a curly jungle of black hair and a battleship chest strutted with an easy vigor. His hands and arms might have been grafted from a bear. His eyes scowled, but his lips showed white, even teeth in a satirical smile.