Stuart Woods - Mounting Fears

“Plan for it, but I’ll make that decision after I speak with President Khan.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stand by. Madame Director?” Kate was on a phone at the other end of the conference table.

“Yes, Mr. President?”

“Have you been able to obtain any information from your sources in Islamabad?”

“Sir, we have reports from our station there and from our resources on the ground that the blast was seen in the sky from Islamabad, but at the moment the city is reasonably calm. The streets are full of people waiting for news from the president, but no official announcement has been made, except to request calm and that people remain in their homes, which many are not doing.”

“General, did you hear that report?” Will asked.

“Yes, Mr. President, and with that I believe you have everything we can now confirm, until you speak with President Khan or we speak with Pakistani army headquarters.”

“Thank you, General. Please call when you have further information, we’ll be here.” Will hung up. Kate was still on the phone.

“Kate?”

She put her hand over the phone. “Yes?”

“Is there any indication that the attack on the missile installation was part of a planned coup d’йtat?”

“No, not at this time.”

She continued to talk on the phone, presumably to Lance Cabot, and Will sat and tried to think if there was anything he could do that he had not already done.

Will Fielded calls from Aides, the JCS, and Cabinet members for the next hour; then Tim Coleman came into the room. “President Khan for you, Mr. President.”

Will picked up the phone. “President Khan?”

“Yes, President Lee.”

“I’m very glad to hear from you; we were all very concerned. What is your situation?”

“We have put down a small rebellion in the military-fewer than fifty officers, none of them ranked above colonel.”

“That’s good. What is the status of your nuclear capability?”

“When we attacked the northwestern missile site someone inside managed to fire one missile before we could disable it, but we were able to detonate it electronically a few seconds later.”

“What about the second missile?”

“Once at close range, our troops were able to disable it electronically.”

“Was there damage to the facility?”

“Some of the aboveground buildings were knocked down by the shock wave, but everything belowground was undamaged. We managed to pump an odorless gas into the tunnels, rendering everyone inside unconscious. We captured all of them.”

“What about the other installations around your country?”

“All the nuclear missiles have had their guidance systems and other essential systems removed, so that they cannot be fired. All sites but one are now neutralized.”

“What about the other one?”

“There is a fight in progress there now, and I hope to have a favorable report within minutes.”

“What is the situation in the country at large?”

“Calm has been restored in most places, and by tomorrow things should be quite normal. We will proceed with elections on schedule.”

“May I release this information to the American press, Mr. President?”

“Yes, but please do not mention the final facility until I have confirmation from there.”

“As you wish. Is there anything I can do for you at this time?”

“Thank you, Mr. President, no. Everything is well in hand.”

“Mr. President, may I ask, where is the final missile site that remains unsecured?”

“It is southeast of Islamabad about one hundred miles.”

“Have you had any damage reports from the northwest?”

“Only at our military base in that region, which suffered much damage to structures. Also, a number of our troops were blinded, temporarily, I hope, by the blast. We do not expect much in the way of radioactive contamination, since the blast occurred at a high altitude. If you will excuse me, President Lee, I must go and attend to some things.”

“Of course, President Khan. Please let me know the moment the final missile is secured. As you can imagine, my administration is in touch with many world leaders who are concerned about the situation.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“And don’t hesitate to call me if I can be of any help.” Will hung up and looked around the room. “Everybody hear that?”

He got a chorus of affirmation from around the table and from the TV screens. Everyone seemed vastly relieved, and Will was not an exception.

“Tim,” Will said, “I think we should be getting back to Washington. I’ll hold a press conference as soon as we get word on the securing of the final missile.”

“I’ll alert the Secret Service and the helicopter, Mr. President,” Tim replied, then left the room.

“General,” Will said to the figure on the TV screens, “please lower you alert level; the worst seems to be past.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. President,” the man said.

Will took along his new vice-presidential candidate and his luggage. “We have a lot of campaign planning to do, Marty,” he said. “And I want you to meet members of the vice president’s staff. You’ll be seeing a lot of them on the campaign trail.”

“I’ve already canceled the rest of my schedule,” Stanton said. “Most of my staff are returning to Sacramento to handle things there.”

They were ten minutes out of Washington when Will got a phone call from Walter Reed. He listened briefly, then hung up. “George Kiel died five minutes ago,” he said to the people on the copter. “Tim, I want to speak to Mrs. Kiel as soon as we’re at the White House. Marty, I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to serve out your term as governor of California. I’m appointing you vice president as soon as the FBI completes its background check, and I’m sure we can get a quick confirmation from the Senate.”

“Well, Mr. President,” Stanton said, “it’s been quite a day.”

“There are going to be a lot of those ahead, Marty. You’ll get used to it.”

Will was watching through the helicopter window as the White House got closer, when Kitty Conroy gave him a sheet of paper with handwritten notes.

“Mr. President, a clutch of press will be waiting when the helicopter lands, and when we land, I think you should make an on-the-run statement along these lines.”

Will quickly read the notes and handed them back. “Right, I’ll do that.”

“Don’t stop for more than a couple of seconds, say your piece, and get out.”

“Right, Kitty.”

The big helicopter settled onto the White House lawn, and everyone poured out. The knot of waiting press ran toward Will, shouting questions.

Will stopped, held up a hand to quiet them, and spoke rapidly. “Naturally, we are all saddened by the unexpected death of Vice President George Kiel, and our hearts and our prayers go out to his loved ones. On another subject that I’m sure will interest you, I spoke with President Khan of Pakistan a little over an hour ago, and he tells me that his military exploded the missile shortly after it was fired and that little loss of life or damage resulted from the explosion. The Pakistani military has moved quickly to secure all the other missile sites in that country, and I’m waiting for a final report. I’m optimistic that all will be well shortly. I’ll address the subject when all reports are in, and that’s all I have for you now.” He walked quickly toward the White House, ignoring shouted questions.

“Marty,” Will said, “you stay with me. The staff will put your things in an upstairs bedroom, and by tomorrow we’ll have you in Blair House.”