Clear and present danger - Tom Clancy [318]
"Same thing here, isn't it? Except while we fiddle…"
"You've made your point," the acting Director said. "Number one priority is getting them out, any way we can. Is there a way to do it covertly?"
"I don't know yet."
"Look, for starters let's get in touch with your field officer," Murray suggested.
"He doesn't -"
"He gets immunity, anything he wants," Shaw said at once. "My word on it. Hell, far as I can tell he hasn't really broken any laws anyway - because of Martinez-Barker - but you have my word, Ryan, no harm comes to him."
"Okay." Jack pulled the slip of paper from his shirt pocket. The number Clark had given him wasn't a real number, of course, but by adding and subtracting to the digits in a prearranged way, the call went through.
"This is Ryan. I'm calling from FBI Headquarters. Hold on and listen." Jack handed the phone over.
"This is Bill Shaw. I'm acting Director. Number one, I just told Ryan that you are in the clear. My word: no action goes against you. Will you trust me on that? Good." Shaw smiled in no small surprise. "Okay, this is a secure line, and I presume that your end is the same way. I need to know what you think is going on, and what you think we can do about it. We know about the kids, and we're looking for a way to get them out. From what Jack tells us, you might have some ideas. Let's hear them." Shaw punched the speaker button on his phone, and everyone started taking notes.
"How fast do you think we can have the radios set up?" Ryan wondered when Clark had finished.
"The technicians start getting in around seven-thirty, figure by lunch. What about transport?"
"I think I can handle that," Jack said. "If you want covert, I can arrange covert. It means letting somebody else in, but it's somebody we can trust."
"No way we can talk to them?" Shaw asked Clark, whose name he didn't yet know.
"Negative," the speaker said. "You sure you can pull it off on your end?"
"No, but we can give it a pretty good try," Shaw replied.
"See you tonight, then." The line clicked off.
"Now all we have to do is steal some airplanes," Murray thought aloud. "Maybe a ship, too? So much the better if we bring it off covertly, right?"
"Huh?" That one threw Ryan. Murray explained.
Admiral Cutter emerged from his house at 6:15 for his daily jog. He headed downhill toward the river and chugged along the path paralleling the George Washington Parkway. Inspector O'Day followed. A reformed smoker, the inspector had no problems keeping up, and watched for anything unusual, but nothing appeared. No messages passed, no dead-drops laid, just a middle-aged man trying to keep fit. Another agent picked him up as Cutter turned for home. O'Day would change and be ready to follow Cutter into work, wondering if he'd spot some unusual behavior there.
Jack showed up for work at the usual hour, looking as tired as he felt. The morning conference in Judge Moore's office began at 8:30, and for once there was a full crew, though there might as well not have been. The DCI and DDO, he saw, were quiet, nodding but not taking very many notes.
These were - well, not friends, Ryan thought. Admiral Greer had been a friend and mentor. But Judge Moore had been a good boss, and though he and Ritter had never really gotten along, the DDO had never treated him unfairly. He had to give them one more chance, Jack told himself impulsively. When the conference ended, he was slow picking up his things while the others left. Moore caught the cue, as did Ritter.
"Jack, you want to say something?"
"I'm not sure I'm right for DDI," Ryan opened.
"Why do you say that?" Judge Moore asked.
"Something's happening that you aren't telling me about. If you don't trust me, I shouldn't have the job."
"Orders," Ritter said. He was unable to hide his discomfort.