Executive orders - Tom Clancy [413]
If he sells these things for seven hundred bucks, maybe we should all get his address. Isolated incident, John?
The French station chief was walking with me. He said that this guy was pretty representative.
So? van Damm asked.
So maybe Daryaei doesn't have much to be all that serene about, Scott Adler suggested.
People like that don't always know what the peasants are thinking, the chief of staff thought.
That's what brought the Shah down, Ed Foley told him. And Daryaei is one of the people who made that happen. I don't think it likely that he's forgotten that particular lesson and we know that he's still cracking down on people who step out of line. The DCI turned to look at his field officer. Good one, John.
Lefevre-the French spook-told me twice that we don't have a very good feel for the mood in the street over there. Maybe he was shining me on, Clark continued, but I don't think so.
We know there's dissent. There always is, Ben Goodley said.
But we don't know how much. It was Adler again. On the whole, I think we have a man here who wants to project serenity for a reason. He's had a couple of good months. He's knocked over a major enemy. He has some internal problems whose magnitude we need to evaluate. He's hopping back and forth to Iraq-we saw that. He's tired-looking. Tense staff. I'd say he has a full plate right now. Okay, he told me how he wants peace. I almost buy it. I think he needs time to consolidate. Clark here tells me that food prices are high. That's an inherently rich country, and Daryaei can best quiet things down by playing on his political success and turning that into economic success as quickly as possible. Putting food on the table won't hurt. For the moment, he needs to look in instead of looking out.
So I think it's possible that we have a window of opportunity here, SecState concluded.
Extend the open hand of friendship? Arnie asked.
I think we keep the contacts quiet and informal for the time being. I can pick somebody to handle the meetings. And then we see what develops.
The President nodded. Good one, Scott. Now I guess we'd better get you up to speed on China.
When do I leave? SecState inquired, with a pained expression.
You'll have a bigger airplane this time, his President promised him.
* * *
41 - HYENAS
MOVIE STAR FELT THE main landing gear thump down at Dulles International Airport. The physical sensation didn't exactly end his doubts, but it did announce that it was time to put them aside. He lived in a practical world. The entry routine was-routine, again.
Back so soon? the immigration officer asked, flipping to the last entry in the passport.
Ja, doch. Movie Star replied in his German identity. Perhaps I get apartment here soon.
The prices in Washington are kinda steep, the man reported, stamping the booklet yet again. Have a pleasant stay, sir.
Thank you.
It wasn't that he had anything to fear. He was carrying nothing illegal, except what was in his head, and he knew that American intelligence had virtually never caused substantive harm to a terrorist group, but this trip was different, even if only he knew it, as he walked alone in the mob of the terminal. As before, no one would meet him. They had a rendezvous to which he would be the last to arrive. He was more valuable than the other members of the team. Again he rented a car, and again he drove toward Washington, checking his mirror, taking the wrong exit deliberately and watching to see if anyone followed as he reversed direction to get back on the proper road. Again as before, the coast was clear. If there were anyone on him, the coverage was so sophisticated that he had no chance at all to survive. He knew how that worked: multiple cars, even a helicopter or two, but such an investment of time and resources only happened if the opposition knew nearly everything-it took time to organize-and that could only mean deep penetration of his group by the American CIA. The Israelis were capable of such a thing, or so everyone in the terrorist movement feared,