"Not necessary at the moment, Kalinin." Vorotnikov glanced at the door for a few moments, then hauled himself to his feet and straightened his tie. "I think I have heard enough to report to the General Secretary." He held out his hand, and Kalinin grasped it. "I believe the operation is being run in a satisfactory manner and I shall so report to the General Secre- tary in the morning. I must leave. " Kalinin buzzed his outer office, and Anna arrived to escort the smiling Vorotnikov out- side.

When the two had left, Kalinin hit the outer office buzzer again. "I want another secure voice-line set up to Sebaco im- mediately." Suddenly Kalinin realized how little he really knew about Andrei Maraklov. Vorotnikov, the General Secretary's fat spy, was easy to take care of-this Maraklov, who had spent eleven years in the United States, was a loose cannon. More than anyone else, Andrei Maraklov was now the greatest threat to his plan for ultimate power.

The White House, Washington, D.

That same moming The secret, Lloyd Taylor had discovered, of staying on top of things as President of the United States was information, infor- mation, and more information. Gather as much as possible from as many sources as possible, and as quickly as possible. More- over, although he had a capable and trustworthy staff, the infor- mation should not be diluted or encapsulated by his staff.

Interestingly, he found that if he got his information from the 268 .

same sources that served most of the American people, he was able to stay on top of events that the people were most concerned about. He rarely found himself caught up in events in the Persian Gulf, for example, if most Americans were really concerned about the economy.

It was not a foolproof system, but it had served him well during his first three and a half years in office and, with luck, would serve him well in a second term.

Taylor's predecessor was a fanatic about daily exercise the way Taylor was about information, and so Taylor combined the two shortly after arriving in the White House. After rising at five-thirty every morning, the President would change into shorts and sneakers and make his way into the well-equipped exercise room in the back west comer of the White House.

There, in the middle of the room, sat a walking/jogging tread- mill, a self-contained physical fitness evaluation device that measured and recorded two dozen di fferent vital signs from pulse to weight to blood pressure as he walked. That was his prede- cessor's contribution. In front of the treadmill was Taylor's-a large-screen voice-command computer monitor and terminal.

"Good morning, Mr. President," Paul Cesare, the Chief of Staff, greeted him. Cesare set a glass of orange juice and a fresh towel on a table near the treadmill. "How do you feel this mom- . 9".

ing.

"Just fine, Paul." The President stepped onto the tread- mill. The pre-programmed machine beeped five times in warning, then automatically started. Taylor slipped his hand into a glovelike device on the handlebar that had sensors in it that would feed information to the body function monitors.

As the President started walking, the computer terminal came to life.

"Good morning, Mr. President," the terminal said in a quiet feminine voice. On the screen was a recorded view of the Po- tomac and the Jefferson Memorial. The screen changed to sev- eral columns of information in large letters showing the weather, date, important holidays and the day's appointments.

"The following is an encapsulation of your morning appoint- ments: "You have a Cabinet meeting at eight o'clock. At ten o'clock, a meeting with the Senate Foreign Relations commit- tee. At noon, the luncheon with the International Kiwanas at 269.

the Ambassador Hotel. There are five desk flags." Desk flags were items left on his desk that would require some study or consultation. A brief description of each flashed on the screen; none seemed too important. "Would you like to review them now? "

"No.- "Would you like to review the afternoon appointments?"

"No.- "What would you like, Mr. President?"

The treadmill had sped up to about three miles per hour as it automatically sought to raise Taylor's heart rate to its optimum aerobic exercise rate. "Go back to bed," he said, stepping up the pace.

The computer thought about it for a moment, then, "Please make another choice, Mr. President."

"Thanks," he said, and Cesare grinned. "How about wire- service headlines?"

"Please select a keyword, or select 'All.' " The keywords were phrases used to narrow down the huge selection of news items.

'White House,' " the President requested.

A long list of news bulletins flashed on the screen, all con- taining the words "White House. " The computer-synthesized voice continued: "Selected headlines as of five A. Eastern Standard Time: 'White House may announce decision on Korean trade bill today.' 'Foreign Relations Chairman Myers travels to White House to break impasse.' 'Russian KGB spy disaster sty- mies White House advisers. ' 'First Lady will receive veteran's group in White House ceremony . . . ' "

Taylor pounded a fist on the treadmill STOP button. "What the hell . . . ? Stop. Read item three."

"Headlines Stop," the computer acknowledged. "Review.

Item three. Washington Post Wire Service, date twenty-one June, nineteen hundred and ninety-six. Washington desk, first para- graph: 'A Russian KGB deep-cover agent may have caused the crash of an experimental B-52 bomber in the southern Nevada desert on Tuesday, an unnamed military source said today. He may also have been responsible for the downing of an F-15 fighter over Mexico and the crash of a second F- 1 5 over southern Arizona, with loss of life as high as six. Second paragraph: Despite the attacks, the White House has apparently decided to 270 .

take no action that may provoke the Soviet Union until more evidence has been received and analyzed. Third paragraph: Sources confirm-'

"Stop, darnmit. Who the hell authorized that news release? I didn't-"

"It sounds like it came from the Pentagon, sir .

"The Pentagon? Get General Kane on the phone."

Cesare hit the auto-dial button for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "I'll get hold of Walters, too," Cesare said.

Ted Walters was the White House Press Secretary. "He might be able to keep that story from going out on the morning news- shows if we catch it in time."

"The morning news . . . Goddamn, get on it, Paul. Of all the things to leak out .

"General Kane on your speakerphone, sir, " Cesare said a few moments later. The President punched the flashing button.

"Bill, there's an article on the Washington Post wire service that mentions our discussion yesterday about the-"

"Open line, Mr. President," Cesare interrupted, his hand over the mouthpiece of his phone.

--the aircraft incident. Know anything about it?"

"No, sir. I certainly authorized no release about that at all.

"Better get over here, Bill."

"On my way, sir."

"Ted's on his way too, sir. He can make some calls from his car. I I "When I catch the sonofabitch who leaked this I'll kick his butt out of Washington, out of the country . . . "

Cesare, always protective of the Boss and concerned about his blood pressure, tried to soft-pedal the news. "It sounds a little sketchy. Maybe an imaginative reporter heard about the B-52 crash and just kept on digging until he found-- "There's no way any reporter could start from a B-52 crash and end up with KGB deep-cover agents without help from this office. We've got to assume Walters can't stop the media from picking up on this and spreading it all over the country - So what are we going to say about it?"

"The story is so far out," Cesare said, "that if we deny the whole thing people will believe us. A Russian KGB agent shoot- 271.

ing down a B-52 bomber over Nevada? Who's going to believe that? "

"Eyewitnesses. They could have interviewed someone from Drearnland. They could confirm the fact that the B-52 was shot down deliberately. There could be eyewitnesses to the plane be- ing shot down over Mexico or the crash in Arizona. There-- The phone rang beside Cesare. "Cesare here . . . Edward Drury? . . . Hold on." Cesare put the phone on, hold. "It's Drury from CNN, Mr. President. He's asking for White House comment about a so-called KGB spy incident So much for keeping it out of the press, the President thought.

"All right, the comment is that the story about a KGB agent is false, and the cause of the crash in Nevada is still under inves- tigation.

"I'd advise against it, Mr. President," Cesare said. "How about 'unsubstantiated,' or 'rumors only'? If we say the story is false, and someone digs up some hard evidence . . . "

"All right, all right." A headache was already spreading from his sinuses. "The information about a Russian agent is an unsubstantiated rumor, and the cause of the B-52 crash un- der investigation by the Air Force has not yet been determined.

Any speculation would be detrimental and injurious to the per- sonnel involved and the best interests of the country. Got all that?

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure Walters gets a copy."

"Have Ted hold a press conference as soon as possible and get out a release. No one on the staff goes in front of the media, except Ted, until we get together on a statement, and Ted's only statement will either be what we just said there or 'No com- ment.' Got that?"

"Yes, sir." Cesare flipped through his notes. "Speaker Van Keller is scheduled to be on ABC this morning. He's the only one in on our meeting yesterday who could be pinned down on it.

"Better get that statement out to him as soon as possible,"

the President said. "Have him call me or Ted so we can brief him. "

"This could be a problem, sir," Cesare continued, scanning his notes. "The first fifteen minutes of the meeting with the Foreign Relations Committee was supposed to be a photo op- portunity.

272 .

The President shook his head in frustration. "Great. In that case we'll keep it a photos-only session and cut it down to five minutes.

"Senator Myers and the committee members might have some questions about the incident-"

"We'll give them what we give the press-the crash is under investigation, we have no information on any KGB agents being involved.

Cesare finished writing. "One more thing, sir-the Russians.

That wire story said we weren't going to do anything. Should we make a comment about that?"

"To hell with them." The President massaged his temples, then added, "They can think what they want. If we come out with any comment directed at the Russians we'd be admitting that they had something to do with the B-52 crash-"

The phone rang again. "Cesare here . . . Ted, what's up?

. . .what? . . . any details? . . . all right. You're ten minutes away? All right, I'll pass it on."

"What now?"

"Ted just got off the phone with the Post. They're now saying that they have a tape of the conversation between the B-52 and the XF-34 aircraft during their engagement. The radio conver- sation was on a channel called GUARD, an international emer- gency frequency used by planes, ships . . . They have the whole thing-including the pilot of the XF-34 saying that he's a colonel in the KGB. He said the guy from the Post even said, 'XF-34.'

That designation was top secret-until now."

"Dammit all to hell, less than twenty-four hours after our meeting and the whole country, whole world, knows about it.

All right, all right," the President said. "Cancel the Cabinet meeting agenda, get the NSC and CIA and have everybody in the conference room no later than seven-thirty, briefed and ready to discuss this, but for Christ's sake do it quietly-don't make it look like we're circling any wagons. This is a routine Cabinet meeting. Make sure we get tapes of any news broadcasts about this thing."

"We should change the press statement," Cesare said. "I suggest- "The change is easy. The word now is 'No comment.' That's it, and it goes for Ed Drury and the networks and everybody.

273.

We've got to get a handle on this thing before it gets completely away from us .

Cesare got on the phone again and while he was waiting, the President turned to him and said, "Paul, I want General Elliott at the meeting, too. Has he left Washington?

"I believe so, sir.

"Then we'll set up a secure teleconference and . . . no, I want him here. He had some ideas about this DreamStar thing that I want to hear. Wherever he is, have him back here soonest.

"Yes, sir." Cesare dialed the office of the military commu- nications liaison and issued the President's orders, then turned back to President Taylor, who was standing near the treadmill, staring at the news item on the big screen.

"Any idea who leaked this, Paul?"

"Well, that news item mentions a military source." He paused, then asked: "Do you think it could be Elliott? Is that why you're bringing him back to Washington?"

"A guy that's just been stripped of his command and being forced to retire can do some very strange things, but no, not Elliott. He's by-the-book. I want him back in Washington to hear what he has to say about this DrearnStar thing. It's been his baby."

"Are you considering a military response?"

"Maybe I won't have any choice. If we can't get control of this leak, we may have to do more than just protest to the Rus- sians-"

The phone rang. Cesare picked it up. "Military communica- tions, sir, " Cesare said. "General Elliott had made a stopover at the Air Force Aeronautical Laboratories in Dayton. He can be here for the staff meeting."

"That's very good of him. I can't wait to talk to him."

"This was a deliberate information leak on someone's part, President Taylor said. "I want someone's butt, and I want it now. "

He paused, scanning the faces of his Cabinet and senior White House staff members. "I expect whoever did this will have the courage to come to me later and explain why he or she felt it was necessary to reveal classified information like this. I will 274 .

not tolerate this in my staff. I'll shit-can the lot of you, and senior staff, if I have to."

He let his words linger on the wide cherry conference table for a few moments. No one appeared ready to confess or throw themselves on the sword. He also saw a few faces that allowed themselves to appear skeptical when he had mentioned dis- missals. But he had no choice, the President thought-some- one had to get fired over this. Someone had to take a fall if I for no other reason than credibility, or deniability, as in Iran- scam.

"The official word on this incident is 'No cornment,' " the President said. "And I don't mean any of that 'Neither confirm nor deny' stuff. I mean 'No comment. 'You're not authorized to discuss anything dealing with Dreamland, the B-52 crash, ex- perimental aircraft or any military or civilian personnel. Is that clear?" A few nodding heads. "If you have any difficulty with that order tell me now. I won't hold any questions against you, and I won't think that anyone who has a question has to be the guilty party. Speak up."

Silence.

"All right. If any problems come up, refer them to Ted Wal- ters, Paul Cesare or myself. But I want a lid on this. And I want it on tight. We've got news about the Summer Olympics and the elections to take the media pressure off this incident, and that's what I want to happen - "

The President turned to General Kane. "Update on that DrearnStar aircraft, General?"

"Very little, Mr. President," the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs told him. "Increase in message traffic on the Soviet satellite-net out of Sebaco Airbase near Managua. We haven't been able to decode it yet but our analysts believe this reinforces our esti- mation that DreamStar is at Sebaco."

"How long would it take them to take that aircraft apart, General?

Kane was anxious to get out of the sudden glare of attention and have the spotlight focus on the principal of this incident.

He said, "I can't give you an accurate answer, Mr. Presi- dent." He turned to General Bradley Elliott sitting beside him. I Brad? " I "It's hard to say, Mr. President." All eyes were on Elliott, but not because they were waiting to hear what he said-they all 275.

believed he was the one who had leaked the information on DreamStar to the press in the first place. "If they wanted to, they could have DreamStar in pieces in hours-it could already be crated up and ready to ship. But I don't think they would just t up. The XF-34 is the most advanced aircraft in the wo hack i r1d.

The Soviets will want it intact'

"Then why take it apart at all?" William Stuart, the Secretary of Defense asked. "Why not just fly it to Managua and load it onto a large freighter?"

"That can be done, sir," Elliott replied. "But they know that it would be easy to spot once it arrived in Managua, and very difficult to conceal. We could detect which ship it was loaded onto and intercept or destroy-"