Tom Clancy's Op-center Balance of Power - Tom Clancy [28]
"How so?" Hood asked.
Liz rolled her broad shoulders forward. She leaned toward the group, her elbows on her knees. "Aideen survived a shooting in which her partner died. A lot of guilt comes along with that. Guilt and a responsibility to see the job through at any cost. She won't sleep and she probably won't eat. A person can't maintain those countershock and resistance levels for long."
"What's long?" Herbert asked.
"Two or three days, depending on the person," Liz said. "After that, the person enters a state of clinical exhaustion. That brings on a mental and physical breakdown. If countershock is left untreated for that long, there's a good chance our girl's in for a long, long stay in a very quiet rest home."
"How good a chance?" Herbert asked.
"I'd say sixty-forty in favor of a crash," Liz said.
Hood's phone beeped as Liz was speaking. As soon as she was finished Hood picked it up. His executive assistant, "Bugs" Benet, said that Darrell McCaskey was on the line. Hood put McCaskey on the speakerphone.
Herbert settled back into his wheelchair. Until recently, a call like this wouldn't have been possible over an unsecured line. But Matt Stoll, Op-Center's Operations Support Officer and resident computer genius, had designed a digital scrambler that plugged into the data port of public telephones. Anyone listening in over the line would hear only static. A small speaker attached to the scrambler on McCaskey's end filtered out the noise and enabled him to hear the conversation clearly.
"Darrell, good evening," Hood said softly. "I've got you on speaker."
"Who's there?" he asked.
Hood told him.
"I've gotta tell you," McCaskey said, choking, "you can't imagine what it means to have a team like you back there. Thanks."
"We're in this together," Hood said.
Hood rolled his lips together. It was the closest Herbert had seen the boss come to losing it.
Hood collected himself quickly. "How are you both? Do you need anything?"
The compassion was real. Herbert had always said that when it came to sincerity in government Hood was in a category all by himself.
"We're still pretty shaken up," McCaskey answered, "as I'm sure you are. But I guess we'll be all right. As a matter of fact, Aideen seems to be in a pretty combative mood."
Liz nodded knowingly. "Countershock," she said softly.
"How so?" Hood asked.
"Well, she kind of took Deputy Serrador apart for getting cold feet," McCaskey said. "I called her on the carpet for it but I have to say I was actually pretty proud of her. He had it coming."
"Darrell," Hood asked, "is Aideen there?"
"No, she isn't," said McCaskey. "I left her in her room with Deputy Ambassador Gawal from the American embassy. They're on the phone with my friend Luis at Interpol, discussing security measures if you decide to keep us here. Like I said, she's pretty worked up and I wanted her to have time to settle down a little. But I also didn't want her to feel left out of the process."
"Good thinking," Hood said. "Darrell, are you sure you feel up to talking now?"
"It's got to be done," McCaskey said, "and I'd rather do it now. I'm sure I'll feel a lot lower when all of this sinks in."
Liz gave Hood a thumbs-up.
Herbert nodded. He knew the feeling.
"Very good," Hood said. "Darrell, we were just discussing the idea of you two staying. How do you feel about that-and what's the problem with Deputy Serrador?"
"Frankly," McCaskey said, "I'd feel fine about staying. Only the problem isn't me. Aideen and I just came from Serrador's office. He's made it pretty clear that he doesn't want to continue."
"Why?" Hood asked.
"Cold feet," Herbert suggested.
"No, Bob, I don't think it's that," McCaskey said. "Deputy Serrador told us that he wants to talk to the investigators and to his colleagues before he decides whether to proceed with our talks. But it seemed to me-and