Full Black - Brad Thor [37]
But instead of fixing its leaking ship, the CIA focused on protecting its turf. The writing was on the wall. Eventually, they were going to be replaced by a leaner, more productive organization. They were in a fight for their very existence and they lashed out accordingly at anyone or anything they saw as a competitor. And that was exactly how the Carlton Group was perceived.
While there was no love lost between the Old Man and Langley, he didn’t want to be sucked into their petty games. Already, a handful of stories had been leaked to the New York Times about his organization in an effort to discredit it. He had enough sources, both within the paper and back at the Agency, to know who’d been behind it. Though he found it unprofessional, he understood why the CIA was doing it. That’s why he’d been intent on mending fences.
Like it or not, his organization was here to stay. No matter how badly the CIA didn’t want them around, the Carlton Group now had the top cover and protection of the DoD. That didn’t mean, though, that Langley couldn’t make it difficult for them. The Old Man had decided the best way to stop the pissing match was to offer an olive branch. That’s what the Yemen operation had been all about.
Was it the best idea to swoop into the country and in a matter of days pinpoint and roll up the bad guy that the CIA had been trying to track down for a month? Probably not, but handing him right over and not wanting any credit was a very good idea. Had the attack on Harvath’s vehicle not happened and had Aazim been turned over to the Agency, it might have improved the relationship. At least that was what the Old Man had believed. Harvath hadn’t been so sure.
Though he had kept them to himself, Harvath had reservations. He thought they might see it as having had their faces rubbed in it. He also doubted they’d share any of the intel they gleaned from wringing Aazim Aleem out like a dishcloth.
Carlton had to be part mind reader. Without Harvath saying anything, the Old Man knew exactly what he was thinking. He was quick to remind Harvath of several things, each of which stung a bit and therefore stuck with him.
The Old Man made it clear that Harvath was an exceptional operative, but not yet as smart or as experienced as he was. He also stated that while one of Harvath’s greatest skills was his ability to think and act on his own, it was also one of his greatest flaws.
That last part burned the hottest, most likely because it was right on target. Even in the SEALs, Harvath had danced just on the edge of being a team player. Despite the fact that he was very well liked, his superiors had warned him again and again about his individuality. While there wasn’t any one thing they could specifically point to, he was warned that if he wasn’t careful he was eventually going to get his teammates killed.
Harvath hadn’t liked hearing it then and he certainly didn’t like hearing it now from a man he had so much respect for. Under the former president, Harvath had been expected to operate alone and to do things his way. He had excelled, but those days were behind him. For better or worse, Harvath was back on a team again, which required that he perform accordingly. He was determined to make it work.
That was a big reason he was upset to lose Riley Turner to the care of Mansoor Aleem. The very reason the Athena Project had been created by Delta was that an attractive woman’s beauty automatically disqualified her as a threat.
Harvath chastised