Line of Control - Tom Clancy [9]
"I smell Kirk Pike's hand in this," Rodgers said.
Pike was the newly appointed head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The ambitious former chief of navy intelligence was extremely well liked on the Hill and had accepted the position with a self-prescribed goal: to consolidate as many of the nation's intelligence needs as possible under one roof.
"I agree that Pike is probably involved, but I think it's more than just him," Hood said.
"Pox said that Secretary General Chatterjee is still grumbling about bringing us before the International Court of Justice. Have us tried for murder and trespassing." "Smart," Rodgers said.
"She'll never get the one but the jurists may give her the other."
"Exactly," Hood said.
"That makes her look strong and reaffirms the sovereign status of the United Nations. It also scores points with pacifists and with anti-American governments.
Fox apparently thinks this will go away if our charter is revoked and quietly rewritten." "I see," Rodgers said.
"The CIOC acts preemptively to make Chatterjee's action seem bullying and unnecessary." "Bingo," Hood said.
"Is it going to happen?" Rodgers asked.
"I don't know," Hood admitted.
"Fox hasn't discussed this with the other members yet."
"But she wants it to happen," Rodgers said.
Hood nodded.
"Then it will," Rodgers said.
"I'm not ready to concede that," Hood said.
"Look, I don't want you to worry about the political stuff. I need you to get this job done in Kashmir. Chatterjee may be secretary general but she's still Indian. If you score one for her side she'll have a tough time going after us."
"Not if she passes the baton to Pike," Rodgers said.
"Why would she?" Hood asked.
"Back-scratching and access," Rodgers said.
"A lot of the intel I have on Kashmir came from the CIA. The Company works very closely with the Indian Intelligence Bureau." "The domestic surveillance group," Hood said.
"Right," Rodgers said.
Under the Indian Telegraph Act, the Indian Intelligence Bureau has the legal authority to intercept all forms of electronic communication.
That includes a lot of faxes and email from Afghanistan and other Islamic states. It was IIB that blew the whistle on Iraq's pharmaceutical drug scam back in 2000. Humanitarian medicines were excluded from the United Nations sanctions. Instead of going to Iraqi hospitals and clinics, however, the medicines were hoarded by the health minister. When shortages pushed up demand the drugs were sold to the black market for hard foreign currency that could be used to buy luxury goods for government officials, bypassing the sanctions.
"The IIB shares the information they collect with the CIA for analysis,"
Rodgers went on.
"If Director Pike helps Chatterjee, the Indians will continue to work exclusively with him."
"Pike can have the trophy if he wants," Hood said.
"We still get the intelligence."
"But that isn't all Pike wants," Rodgers said.
"People aren't satisfied just winning in Washington. They have to destroy the competition. And if that doesn't work they go after his friends and family."
"Yeah-well, he'll have to get a task force for that one," Hood said quietly.
"We Hoods are kind of spread out now."
Rodgers felt like an ass. Paul Hood was not living with his family anymore and his daughter, Harleigh, spent a lot of time in therapy. It was careless to have suggested that they might be at risk.
"Sorry, Paul. I didn't mean that literally," Rodgers said.
"It's all right," Hood replied.
"I know what you meant. I don't think Pike will cross that line, though.
We've got pretty good muckrakers and a great press liaison. He won't want to take any rivalry public."
Rodgers was not convinced of that. Hood's press liaison was Ann Pan-is.
For the last few days the office was quietly buzzing with the rumor that the divorcee and Paul Hood were having an affair. Ann had been staying late and the two had been spotted leaving Hood's hotel together one morning.
Rodgers did not care one