Divide and conquer - Tom Clancy [107]
"Mr. Fenwick's, Mr. Gable's, and Mr. Roedner's. In exchange for those resignations, there will be no charges, no prosecution, and no explanation other than that members of the administration had a difference of policy opinion." Fenwick's forehead flushed.
"Three letters, Mr. Vice President?"
"That's correct, Mr. Fenwick," Cotten replied. The vice president did not look at the NSA chief.
"In exchange for complete amnesty." Hood did not miss the subtext. Nor, he was sure, did the president. The vice president was in on this, too.
He was asking the others to take a fall for him-though not a big one.
Quitting an administration, high-ranking officials often tumbled upward in the private sector. The president shook his head.
"I have here a group of administration officials who apparently conspired with an international terrorist to steal oil from one nation, give it to another, reap foreign policy benefits, and in the process steal the office of president of the United States. And you sit there arrogantly declaring that these men will be given de facto amnesty. And that one of them, it appears, will remain in office, in line for the presidency." Cotten regarded Lawrence.
"I do declare that, yes," he said.
"The alternative is an international incident in which the United States will be seen as having betrayed Azerbaijan. A series of investigations and trials that will ghost this administration and become its sole legacy. Plus a president who was unaware of what was going on among his closest advisers. A president who his own wife thought might be suffering from a mental or emotional breakdown. That will not boost public confidence in his abilities."
"Everyone gets off," the president said angrily.
"I'm supposed to agree to that?"
"Everyone gets off," the vice president repeated calmly.
"Mr. Vice President, sir?" General Burg said.
"I just want to say if I had my weapon here, I would shoot you in the ass."
"General Burg," the vice president replied, "given the pitiful state of our military, I'm confident you'd miss." He regarded the president.
"There was never going to be a war. No one was going to shoot at anyone or be shot at. Peace would have been reached with Iran, relations would have been normalized, and Americans would have had a guaranteed fuel supply. Whatever one may think of the methods, this was all done for the good of the nation."
"Any time laws are broken, it is not for the good of the nation," the president said.
"You endangered a small, industrious country trying to get its footing in a post Soviet world. You sought to undo the will of the American electorate. And you betrayed my faith in you." Cotten rose.
"I did none of those things, Mr. President," he replied.
"Otherwise, I would be resigning. I'll see you all at the six-thirty meeting."
"You will not be needed there," the president said.
"Ah," said the vice president.
"You would prefer I go on the Today Show to discuss administration policy in the Caspian region."
"No," the president replied.
"I would prefer that you draft your letter of resignation to submit with the others." The vice president shook his head.
"I won't do that."
"You will," the president replied.
"And attribute your resignation to mental exhaustion. I won't make you a martyr to an anti constitutional fringe. Find some other line of work, Mr. Cotten."
"Mr. President, you are pushing the wrong man," Cotten warned.
"I don't think so," the president replied. His eyes and voice grew steely.
"You're correct, Mr. Cotten. I don't want a national or international scandal. But I'll suffer those before I leave a traitor in the line of succession to the office of president. Either you resign or, in exchange for that amnesty, I will urge Mr. Fenwick and his associates to tell the attorney general what they know about your involvement in this operation." Cotten was silent. Red and silent. The president reached for the phone in front of him. He pushed a button.
"Corporal Cain?"
"Yes, Mr. President?"
"Please have an