Line of Control - Tom Clancy [76]
Herbert nodded.
"Lowell, find me some legal grounds for doing this," Hood went on.
The attorney shook his head.
"There isn't anything," Coffey said.
"At least, nothing that will hold up in an international court."
"I don't need anything that will work in court," Hood said.
"I need a reason to keep Striker from being extradited if it comes to that."
"Like claiming they were on a mission of mercy," Coffey said.
"Yeah," Herbert interjected.
"I'll bet we can find some UN peacekeeping status bullshit that would qualify."
"Without informing the United Nations?" Coffey said.
"You know, Lowell, Bob may have something," Hood said.
"The secretary-general has emergency trusteeship powers that allow her to declare a region 'at risk' in the event of an apparent and overwhelming military threat. That gives her the right to send a Security Council team to the region to investigate."
"I'm missing how that helps us," Coffey said.
"The team does not have to consist of sitting Security Council personnel," Hood said.
"Just agents of Security Council nations." "Maybe," Coffey said.
"But no one will accept the presence of a team consisting solely of Americans."
"It won't," Hood said.
"India's a member of the Security Council. And there are Indians out there."
"Captain Nazir and Nanda Kumar," Herbert said.
"Her own countrymen."
"Exactly," Hood replied.
"Even if she's a hostile observer, at least she's present."
"Yeah. Since when does the Security Council agree on anything?" Liz pointed out.
"We may have to bring Secretary-General Chatterjee in on this once Striker is on the ground," Hood said.
"Then we'll tell her what we know."
"And what if she refuses to invoke her trusteeship powers?"
Coffey asked.
"She won't," Hood said.
"How can you be sure?" Coffey asked.
"Because we still have a press department," Hood said.
"And while we do, I'll make sure that every paper on earth knows that Secretary-General Chatterjee did nothing while India prepared to launch nuclear missiles at Pakistan. We'll see whose blood the world wants then. Hers or Striker's."
I wouldn't bet the farm on that plan," Coffey warned.
Give me an option," Hood countered.
Coffey and Herbert agreed to have a look at the United Nations charter and brief Hood. Hood agreed to hold off contacting Chatterjee. Herbert left to follow up on the intel reports. Only Liz stayed behind with Hood. Her hands were folded on the table and she was staring hard at them.
"Problem, Liz?" Hood asked.
She looked at him.
"You've had some run-ins with Mala Chatterjee." "True," Hood said.
"But forcing her hand or embarrassing her is not on the agenda. I'm only interested in protecting Striker."
"That isn't where I was going with this," she said.
"You fought with Chatterjee, you fought with Sharon, and you've shut Ann Farris out." Her expression softened.
"She told me about what happened between you."
"Okay," Hood said with a trace of annoyance.
"What's your point?"
"I know what you think about psychobabble, Paul, but I want you to make sure you keep all of this on an issues level," Liz said.
"You're under a lot of pressure from women.
Don't let that frustration get transferred from one woman to another to another."
Hood rose.
"I won't. I promise."
"I want to believe that," Liz said. She smiled.
"But right now you're pissed at me, too."
Hood stood there. Liz was right. His back was ramrod straight, his mouth was a tight line, and his fingers were curled into fists. He let his shoulders relax. He opened his hands. He looked down.
"Paul, it's my job to watch the people here and point out possible problem spots," Liz said.
"That's all I'm doing. I'm not judging you. But you have been under a lot of pressure since the UN situation. You're also tired. All I'm trying to do is keep you the fair, even-handed guy I just saw working things out between Bob Herbert and Lowell Coffey."
Hood smiled