Debt of Honor - Tom Clancy [469]
"Are we sure this is legal?" Jack wondered aloud.
"The Constitution says that the Senate has to approve you. It doesn't say how," Sam Fellows said.
"Baltimore Approach, this is Six-Five-Niner. I have a problem here."
"Six-Five-Niner Heavy, what is the problem, sir?" the tower controller asked. He could already see part of it on his scope. The inbound 747 hadn't turned to his most recent command as sharply as he had ordered a minute earlier. The controller wiped his hands together and wondered if they'd be able to get this one down.
"My controls are not responding well…not sure I can…Baltimore, I see runway lights at my one o'clock…I don't know this area well…busy here…losing power…"
The controller checked the direction vector on his scope, extending it to—
"Six-Five-Niner Heavy, that is Andrews Air Force Base. They have two nice runways. Can you make the turn for Andrews?"
"Six-Five-Niner, I think so, I think so."
"Stand by." The controller had a hot line to the Air Force base. "Andrews, do you—"
"We've been following it," the senior officer in that tower said. "Washington Center clued us in. Do you need help?"
"Can you take him?"
"Affirmative."
"Six-Five-Niner Heavy, Baltimore. I am going to hand you off to Andrews Approach. Recommend turn right three-five-zero…can you do that, sir?" the controller asked.
"I think I can. I think I can. The fire's out, I think, but hydraulics are bottoming out on me, I think the engine must have…"
"KLM Six-Five-Niner Heavy, this is Andrews Approach Control. Radar Contact. Two five miles out, heading three-four-zero at four thousand feet descending. Runway Zero-One-Left is clear, and our fire trucks are already moving," the Air Force captain said. He'd already punched the base panic button, and his trained people were moving out smartly. "Recommend turn right zero one zero and continue descent."
"Six-Five-Niner," was the only acknowledgment.
The irony of the situation was something Sato would never learn. Though there were numerous fighter aircraft based at Andrews, at Langley Air Force Base, at Patuxent River Naval Air Test Center, and at Oceana NAS, all within a hundred miles of Washington, it had never occurred to anyone to have fighter aircraft aloft over the capital on any other night like this one. His elaborate lies and maneuvers were hardly necessary at all. Sato brought his aircraft around at a painfully slow rate to simulate a crippled jumbo, couched every degree of the way by a very concerned and professional American controller. And that, he thought, was too bad.
"Aye!"
"Opposed?" There was silence after that, followed a moment later by applause. Then the Speaker stood.
"The Doorkeeper of the House will escort the Vice President into the chamber so that he can be properly sworn."
"That's your cue. Break a leg," Trent said, standing and heading for the door. The Secret Service agents fanned out along the corridor, leading the procession to the tunnel connecting this building with the Capitol. Entering it, Ryan looked along the curving structure, painted an awful off-yellow and lined, oddly enough, mostly with pictures done by schoolchildren.
"I don't see any obvious problem, no smoke or fire." The tower controller had his binoculars on the incoming aircraft. It was only a mile out now. "No gear, no gear!"
"Six-Five-Niner, your gear is up, say again your gear is up!"
Sato could have replied, but chose not to. It was really all decided now. He advanced his throttles, accelerating his aircraft up from approach speed of one-hundred-sixty knots, holding to his altitude of one thousand feet for the moment. The target was in view now, and all he had to do was turn forty degrees left. On reflection, he lit up his aircraft, displaying the red crane on the rudder fin.
"What the hell is he doing?"
"That's not KLM! Look!" the junior officer pointed. Directly over the field, the 747 banked left, clearly