The President's Study The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

2055 13 February 2007

DCI Jack Powell put his hand over the telephone microphone.

"Mr. President, that airplane is on final approach to Andrews."

"Have they got cameras out there? I want to see it," the President said.

"Wolf News does, Mr. President," presidential spokesman Jack Parker said, and, when the President turned, pointed to one of the televisions mounted on the wall.

The monitor showed a flashing banner-WOLF NEWS BREAKING NEWS ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE WASHINGTON DC-and an image of the Tu-934A making its approach.

"Turn the f.u.c.king sound up, Porky! I'm not psychic!"

The stirring strands of the "William Tell Overture" filled the President's study.

"s.h.i.t," the President said, then asked, "What kind of an airplane is that?"

"I believe that's a Tupolev Tu-934A, Mr. President," Powell said.

"Where the h.e.l.l did Naylor get that?" the President asked rhetorically.

Wolf News cameras followed the airplane as it touched down, and until its landing roll took it far down the runway.

Then C. Harry Whelan and Roscoe J. Danton appeared on the screen.

"Good evening. This is C. Harry Whelan. What we all have just seen is the landing of a super-secret Russian airplane, the Tupolev Tu-934A. And standing with me is my good friend, the distinguished, prize-winning journalist Roscoe J. Danton of The Washington Times-Post The Washington Times-Post, who knows the details of this incredible intelligence accomplishment."

"What the h.e.l.l is he talking about?" the President asked.

"Thank you, Harry," Danton said, patting Whelan's back almost affectionately. "The CIA has had a long-standing offer of one hundred and twenty-five million dollars to anyone who could bring them one of these airplanes. That prize-I see the deputy director of the CIA, Franklin Lammelle, standing over there beside our director of National Intelligence, Amba.s.sador Charles M. Montvale, both of them wearing big smiles; they were the brains behind this incredible operation-"

"What the h.e.l.l is Lammelle doing out there with Amba.s.sador Stupid?" the President asked. "I thought he was with Naylor, getting Castillo and those Russian traitors."

"I don't know, Mr. President," DCI Powell said.

"-has apparently just been claimed by two recently retired American officers, Colonel Jacob Torine, U.S. Air Force, and Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Castillo, U.S. Army."

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" the President said.

"Where did they get it, Roscoe?" Whelan asked.

"From an island off an unnamed South American country."

"How do you know that, Roscoe?"

"I'm proud to say I was with them, Harry."

"But you won't identify that country?"

"I don't think I'd better at this time, Harry."

"But you are telling the millions of Wolf News watchers that these two former officers-"

"Retired officers, Harry." officers, Harry."

"All right, Roscoe, old buddy, 'retired' officers. These two retired retired officers invaded an unnamed South American country-" officers invaded an unnamed South American country-"

"'Invaded,' Harry, implies boots on the ground. We were on the ground twelve minutes and twenty-two seconds. You really can't call that an invasion, can you?"

"-and stole this super-secret Russian airplane-"

"I think that they like to think they 'took possession of it,' Harry."

"And now the CIA is going to pay them one hundred and twenty-five million dollars?"

"That's what Franklin Lammelle told me earlier today."

"We've heard that General Allan Naylor is aboard that airplane. True?"

"As soon as they reached American soil, they turned it over to the military. I don't really know what happened after that, but I can guess."

"Please guess, Roscoe, for the millions of Wolf News viewers around the globe watching this exclusively on Wolf News."

"I would guess that General Naylor decided the Tu-934A belonged in Washington, and that since Colonel Torine and Colonel Castillo were the only ones who knew how to fly it . . ."

"Well, that makes sense," Whelan said. "Oh, look, here it comes! Get a shot of that!"

The monitor showed the Tu-934A taxiing to where Whelan and Danton were standing. Then the aircraft turned around, the engines died, and the ramp started to slowly open.

A siren was heard, and then an ambulance appeared on the screen.

"An ambulance!" C. Harry Whelan said. "Looks like someone on the T-O-whatever you said . . ."

"Tu-934A, Harry. Yes, I would say that the appearance of an ambulance would suggest there's someone in need of medical attention."

Two men in white coats got out of the ambulance and ran up the ramp. Moments later, they came out carrying an unconscious man on a stretcher. Lester Bradley walked beside them.

"Who's that, Roscoe?" Whelan asked.

"I have no idea," Danton said. "I don't speak Russian and he doesn't speak English."

"Who the f.u.c.k was that on the stretcher?" the President of the United States inquired.

"The guy on the stretcher, Mr. President, was General Yakov Sirinov," DCI Powell said.

"What happened to him, Roscoe?"

"Another Russian shot him. I don't think he's seriously wounded."

The stretcher was loaded into the ambulance.

Colonel Torine and Lieutenant Colonel Castillo appeared in the door, acknowledged the applause of the Air Force personnel, and then trotted down the ramp, with Max beside them. They got into the ambulance, which immediately drove off.

Generals Naylor and McNab appeared in the ramp door, walked down it, and got into a staff car.

"I want those two b.a.s.t.a.r.ds here in thirty minutes," the President ordered. "I want-"

"Mr. President," Porky Parker said. "May I respectfully suggest that we have to carefully consider the ramifications of this?"

President Clendennen glared at him. "The next time those two sonsofb.i.t.c.hes go to Fort Leavenworth, they'll be in handcuffs on their way to the Army prison. . . ."

"Porky's right, Mr. President," DCI Powell said. "If we've invaded some South American country-"

"If? If If ? You just heard Roscoe J. Danton tell the whole G.o.dd.a.m.ned world we did! Putin was probably watching us carry that general we kidnapped off that f.u.c.king airplane we stole." ? You just heard Roscoe J. Danton tell the whole G.o.dd.a.m.ned world we did! Putin was probably watching us carry that general we kidnapped off that f.u.c.king airplane we stole."

"Or is watching it being replayed for him as we speak," Parker said. "I'm told the Ministry of Information tapes Wolf News and then distributes the significant stories around the Kremlin."

"That's true, Mr. President," DCI Powell said. "I really think we should get the secretary of State's input on this, so we can decide how to react."

"Well, get her here. In thirty minutes."

"Secretary Cohen is in New York, at the UN, Mr. President," Porky Parker said. "At a reception for President Chavez of Venezuela."

"And if you plan to arrest General Naylor, Mr. President," DCI Powell said, "I think we ought to hear what the attorney general has to say. And/or the secretary of Defense."

"Maybe we should all give this some thought, Mr. President, overnight," Porky Parker said. "Collect all the facts, and then, say, at ten tomorrow morning . . ."

"We really don't want to act precipitously in the heat of the moment," DCI Powell said.

The President looked between them for a good thirty seconds before saying, "Okay, ten tomorrow morning. Just make sure they're all here."

He then walked out of the presidential study, slamming the door behind him.

A moment later there was the sound of a vase falling to the floor.

Or perhaps of one being thrown against a wall.

[ELEVEN].

The Mayflower Hotel 1127 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C.

0925 14 February 2007

There is another, more elegant, name for it, in keeping with the elegance of the Mayflower itself, but most people think of it simply as "The Lobby Bar."

It's on the left of the hotel, and has windows opening on the Desales Street sidewalk. It offers morning coffee and a simple but of course elegant breakfast menu.

There were perhaps twenty people in it when Sergei Murov walked in.

"Over here, Sergei," Frank Lammelle called.

He was standing beside one of the tables near the window. There were three men and a woman sitting at the table.

"Thank you for coming, Sergei," Lammelle said as Murov approached the table. "I know it was more than a little inconvenient for you."

"Anything for you, Frank," Murov said.

"I don't think you know this fellow, but I understand you've been anxious to meet him. Charley, say h.e.l.lo to Sergei."

"How do you do, Colonel Castillo?" Murov said in English as he sat down.

"Frank's been telling me a lot about you, Sergei," Castillo said in Russian. "But not that you look like cousins."

"My Carlitos sounds as if he's a Saint Petersburger, wouldn't you agree, Sergei?" Sweaty asked.

She put her hand out. Murov rose, bowed, took her hand, kissed it, and then sat down.

"Svetlana, you are even more lovely than I remembered," Murov said.

"And of course you and Dmitri are old friends, right?" Lammelle said.

"We have known each other for a very long time," Murov said. "But perhaps 'acquaintances' would be the more accurate term."

"Charley's right," Berezovsky said. "You and Frank do look like cousins."