Brian Freemantle - Betrayals

“Too many,” said Janet, accusingly. “What’s the policy to be when there is contact? Is there to be a bargained deal?”

“Official policy is not to surrender to terrorism,” said Willsher.

“Rubbish,” rejected Janet, at once. “What was Irangate all about! And it failed.”

“I’m authorized to say that every avenue will be explored, to secure Sheridan’s release,” said the man.

“What, precisely, does that mean!”

“What it says. It’s impossible for us to be any more specific than that until we know who’s got him and what they want.”

“You looked into my background?”

“Yes,” frowned Willsher.

“So you know my university subject. And from it will be aware I study the area,” reminded Janet.

Willsher nodded again, understanding. He said: “And because of your subject you should be able to appreciate how difficult it is for us.”

“Do you just intend to wait?” asked Janet. “Or are you trying to make contact from your side?”

“You must believe we’re doing everything we can.”

“That isn’t an answer to my question.”

“Through Arab governments with whom we have dialogue we have made it clear we want contact,” conceded Willsher. “That’s why your courting publicity didn’t help.”

“Would this meeting be taking place if I had not made some sort of protest?”

“I told you we had to be sure,” repeated Willsher.

“What harm has the publicity done?”

“From the outset the aim has been damage limitation,” said Willsher, pedantically. He looked away from her, appearing almost embarrassed, then continued: “The CIA, as an organization, is a particular target among these people. We wanted as much as possible to minimize Sheridan’s position.”

Janet felt the familiar anger begin to build up. The man was discussing John as if he were some disembodied awkwardness, not a human being going through God knows what sort of torment. She said: “I did not disclose John’s position in the CIA. I didn’t even know he was connected to the CIA until I heard it on a television newscast. If you’d been so goddamned anxious to deny any connection with the CIA you could have done so by doing just that: telling a lie and denying it. That ridiculous statement saying neither one thing or the other was practically an out-and-out admission!”

“Something else that wasn’t handled particularly well,” conceded the man.

“I know about William Buckley,” said Janet, flatly.

“So do we, ma’am,” said Willsher, more forcefully than he had so far spoken. “And we don’t want anything like it to happen again.”

“There must be something the government can do, other than just sit around and wait!” said Janet. “Why not issue a public warning about retribution if any harm comes to him!”

Willsher shook his head. “You must believe me, Ms. Stone. A lot of discussion and consideration has already gone into this. The combined view of the Agency and the State Department is that a confrontational stance is not the right one to adopt.”

What the hell was a confrontational stance? thought Janet. Ma’am and Ms. had re-entered the conversation, too, she realized. She said: “What is, then?”

“It has been decided to wait until the demand.”

“Then what?”

“We can’t answer that until we know what the demand is.”

Around and around on the carousel, thought Janet. She said: “That could take weeks… months…”

“We’re prepared for it to take as long as necessary, if it means getting John safely back.”

Janet supposed it was the right attitude-the only attitude-but she was impatient with it. She wanted to be told that something positive was being done, like offering a definite ransom or assembling some sort of gung-ho rescue squad. She said: “Just sit back and wait!”

“No,” said Willsher, patiently. “I told you everything that can be done is being done, and it is. The State Department has made approaches to every Arab country, saying that the government will react in the strongest possible way… without being specific what that might be… if any harm befalls him.”

“I thought you were pulling back from confrontation!”

“These are diplomatic messages, not press statements getting headlines,” Willsher said. “And I think it’s important they remain that way. I don’t think what I’ve just told you should get to the newspapers.”

“The New York Times has already come pretty close.”

Willsher shook his head. “No one has reported how we might react.”

Remembering her earlier impatience, Janet said: “What about when there is contact? What about sending in some sort of snatch squad?”

“I thought I’d already made it clear, Ms. Stone, that every sort of contingency is being explored.”

“Including some sort of commando assault?”

“I don’t think I can be as specific as that.”

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

“I don’t think trust comes into it, Ms. Stone. I don’t know the specific proposals myself.”

“And if you did you wouldn’t tell me?”

“Probably not,” admitted Willsher, at once. “That wouldn’t be particularly good security, would it?”

“Did you know John?” Janet asked abruptly. “Personally, I mean?”

Willsher hesitated and then said: “We were on station together once, some time ago. But not together here, in Washington.”

“Were you a friend?”

Willsher frowned once more, head to one side. “We saw each other occasionally,” he said. “It wasn’t really friendship.”

“Will he be able to stand it?” asked Janet, urgently. “The imprisonment… and… and…” She stumbled to a halt and then blurted out. “Whatever else there might be…?”

For the first time Willsher’s reserved formality wavered. He said: “John’s a very strong man. Very tough.”

Janet laughed, without humor. “That’s the strangest part, since all this happened. I realize I never thought of him as someone with strength… with resilience. Isn’t that odd?”

“I’m not going to say anything ridiculous, like don’t worry, but he’s able to sustain hardship,” Willsher said.

“I hope you’re right,” said Janet. “Dear God, I hope you’re right.”

“You must leave things with us now,” Willsher said. “No more media hype. Or protests from senators.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as it takes, Ms. Stone.”

“Gagged, you mean?”

“I mean there’s only one consideration, for both of us. Which is getting John out. And we think that means low profile.”

“You wouldn’t abandon him, would you?” Janet demanded.

“I don’t understand that question, ma’am.”

“I mean that it wouldn’t be considered wise politics in a region in which America has already made a whole bunch of mistakes to consider John Sheridan as being disposable…” Janet paused. Remembering the phrase, she said: “Someone who’s plausibly deniable.”

“No, Ms. Stone. I can assure you that isn’t the way we’re thinking.”

“I’d like to believe you, Mr. Willsher.”

“All I can do is repeat that it isn’t so.”

“Are you going to remain in contact?”

“Of course.”

“How?”

Willsher paused and said: “You shouldn’t have disclosed the telephone number that John gave you: we’ve had to close it down.”

“And I shouldn’t have been given the bum’s rush when I asked for help,” came back Janet. “I thought we’d cleared the decks on that.”

“I hope we have,” agreed the CIA officer.

“So how?”

“I’ve got your number.”

“No!” refused Janet, shaking her head. “I want something better than that!”