The sum of all fears - Tom Clancy [247]
"I don't know yet. I'm heading up the street after I leave here. Frankly, I'd rather discuss it with you guys first, and I had to come down on some other stuff anyway." Jack went on to describe the SPINNAKER report on Narmonov's problems.
"How long have you had this?"
"A couple of weeks -"
"Why haven't we heard it?" Trent demanded.
"Because we've been running around in circles trying to confirm it," Jack answered.
"And?"
"Al, we've been unable to confirm directly. There are indications that the KGB is up to something. There seems to be a very discreet operation in Germany, looking for some lost tactical nukes."
"Good Lord!" Fellows noted. "What do you mean by "lost"?"
"We're not sure. If it ties in with SPINNAKER, well, maybe there's been some creative accounting on the part of the Soviet Army."
"Your opinion?"
"I don't know, guys, I just don't know. Our analysis people are about evenly divided - those that are willing to offer an opinion."
"We know their army isn't real happy," Fellows said slowly. "The loss of funding, loss of prestige, loss of units and billets but that unhappy?"
"Pleasant thought," Trent added. "A power-struggle in a country with all those nukes How reliable has SPINNAKER been?"
"Very. Five years of devoted service."
"He's a member of their parliament, right?" Fellows asked.
"Correct."
"Evidently a very senior one to get stuff like this that's okay, I don't think either one of us wants to know his name." Fellows added.
Trent nodded. "Probably somebody we've met." Good guess, Al, Jack didn't say. "You're taking this seriously also?"
"Yes, sir, and also trying very hard to confirm it."
"Anything new on NIITAKA?" Trent asked.
"Sir, I -"
"I heard from up the street that there's something to do with Mexico," Al Trent said next. "The President evidently wants my support on something. You are cleared to tell us. Honest, Jack, the President has authorized it."
It was a technical rules violation, but Ryan had never known Trent to break his word. He went through that report also.
"Those little bastards!" Trent breathed. "You know how many votes it cost me to roll over on that trade deal, and now they're planning to break it! So, you're saying we've been rolled again?"
"A possibility, sir."
"Sam? The farmers in your district use all those nasty agricultural chemicals. Might cost 'em."
"Al, free trade is an important principle," Fellows said.
"So's keeping your goddamned word!"
"No argument, Al." Fellows started thinking about how many of his farmers might lose expected export income from a flip-flop on the deal that he'd fought for on the floor of the House. "How can we confirm this one?"
"Not sure yet."
"Bug his airplane?" Trent suggested with a chuckle. "If we can confirm this, I'd like to be there when Fowler shoves it up his ass! God damn it! I lost votes over this!" That he'd carried his district 58-42 was, for the moment, beside the point. "Well, the President wants us to back him up on this one. Problems from your side of the aisle, Sam?"
"Probably not."
"I'd just as soon stay clear of the political side of this, gentlemen. I'm just here as a messenger, remember?"
"Jack Ryan, last of the virgins." Trent laughed. "Good report, thanks for coming down. Let us know if the President wants us to authorize the new and improved TAPDANCE."
"He'll never try. You're looking at two or three hundred million bucks, and bucks are tight," Fellows noted. "I want to see better data before we spring for it. We've dropped too much money down these black holes."
"All I can say, Congressman, is that I'm taking it very seriously. So is the FBI."
"And Ron Olson?" Trent asked.
"He's circling his wagons."
"You'll have a better chance if he asks." Fellows told Ryan.
"I know. Well, at least we'll have our system up and running in three more weeks. We've started turning out the first set of discs and doing preliminary tests now."
"How so?"
"We use a computer to look for non-randomness. The big one, the Cray YMP.