Vince Flynn: The Third Option

Clark walked slowly around the table and unbuttoned his suit coat before he sat. Looking across the table, he asked, «Thomas, how are you doing?»

«I'm dying.»

Clark grinned. «We're all dying, Thomas.» Clark glanced at the president.» Aren't we, Robert?»

«That's right. But not all of us have led a life like Thomas's.»

«No. In fact, I would say that very few have led a life like Thomas's. This country owes you a great debt.»

Stansfield seemed to soak the words in for a second and then said, «Thank you, Senator Clark.»

Clark laughed at the formal use of his name. «Will I ever hear you call me Hank before you leave this world?»

The corners of Stansfield's mouth turned up ever so slightly. «No.»

«I didn't think so.» Clark clasped his hands together, and his mood seemed to darken.

The president noticed this and asked, «What's bothering you, Hank,»

Clark didn't respond at first, and then, glancing sideways at the president, he said, «Robert, we've always been able to cut through the crap and talk straight to each other.» The president nodded. «We served on the Intelligence Committee together for years, and I always respected the fact that you put national security issues above party politics.»

«And I've always respected you for doing the same.»

«Thank you. I would like your word that you will handle what I'm about to tell you with discretion. Especially with reference to where you heard it.»

The president's curiosity had been piqued by the request. «You have my word.»

«I am very concerned about what is going to happen with the CIA when Thomas leaves us.» Clark looked at Stansfield. «I think I know who you have chosen as your successor, and I approve. I think Dr. Kennedy is one of the best candidates for the job. And more importantly, if Thomas thinks she's the best person, you will have my full support during her confirmation hearing.»

Stansfield was relieved. Clark's support of a Kennedy nomination was crucial. As chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, he was the key to getting someone through the confirmation process.

«I am very pleased to hear this,» said the president. No amateur in the art of politics, Hayes was waiting for the standard tit-for-tat request. «What is it that you seek for this cooperation?»

Clark acted slightly offended. «Robert, I took the chairmanship of the Intelligence Committee because I didn't want someone politicizing the oversight process for their own gains. I'm offering my cooperation because I think Dr. Kennedy will do a good job, but even more importantly, I want her to succeed Thomas because I don't think she's corruptible.»

«Fair enough. I'm sorry if I offended you.»

Clark waved his hand as if he were shooing a fly from in front of his face. «You know it takes a lot more than something like this to offend me.»

«Yes,» the president smiled, «it does.»

«My real concern in coming here tonight is twofold. When we were in the Senate together, Robert, there was a select group of us who felt our government wasn't doing enough to battle terrorism. We took the very unusual and risky step of approaching the deputy director of Operations for the CIA.» Clark looked at Stansfield. It was he who had been in charge of Operations for the CIA at the time. «We thought it was time to take the battle to the terrorists. Diplomacy was getting us nowhere, military intervention was disastrous and it was time to use the third option. We placed our confidence in Thomas and gave him a blank check to launch covert operations against terrorist groups across the Middle East. You were one of those original senators, Robert. Unlike the others who were involved in that decision, you and I are the only ones who know exactly how successful Thomas's group has been. Even with our success, however, it is paramount that the existence of that group remain a secret.» Clark looked at the two men while they nodded in agreement. «Well, I don't know if it's dumb luck, intuition, or if we have a leak, but we have a problem, or I should say you have a problem, Robert.»

President Hayes did not like the sound of this. Clark was referring to the Orion Team, of course, and the thought of its existence being made public caused a wave of nausea to wash over the president. «And what is that?»

«I met with two individuals from your party the other day. I informed Thomas of this meeting.» Clark looked at the director of the CIA. «For reasons that are not known to me, these two individuals are working feverishly to make sure that Dr. Kennedy does not become the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency.»

President Hayes face was turning red. «And who are these two individuals?»

«Secretary Midleton and Chairman Rudin.»

President Hayes struggled to keep his composure. He bit his bottom lip and looked over at Stansfield.

«What troubles me even more is that they think Kennedy had a hand in the assassination of Count HagenmiIler. I don't want to get involved in how they know this, but I think it is paramount that you find out how they know and stop them from talking about it.»

IT WAS APPROACHING midnight on Thursday. It had been an incredibly long day. None of them had slept. Rapp, Coleman, Dumond, and Kennedy all had heavy eyelids as they sat around Stansfield's kitchen table. The director was asleep. After returning from the White House, he'd met with Kennedy in private. He filled her in on what he'd learned from Senator Clark, and she in turn explained what Rapp, Coleman, and Dumond had learned from picking through Peter Cameron's life. Stansfield gave Kennedy her marching orders, and then he was out. He had to return to the White House in the morning for some very important meetings.

As they sat around the table, it was Dumond who did most of the talking. He had recovered mounds of information from the PC in Cameron's apartment and the laptop they'd found in his office at George Washington University. As for Cameron's body, it was currently en route to an incinerator outside Baltimore. It had been taken from his office in a large cardboard box on a two-wheeler by a man in a brown UPS uniform. No one batted an eye. As an extra precaution, a man roughly fitting Cameron's description would board a flight in the morning to Bogota, Colombia. He would use Cameron's passport for the journey.

«A lot of this information doesn't mean a thing to me,» said Dumond. «If he has any classified material on these hard drives, I wouldn't know it.»

Is there any mention of Midleton or Rudin?» Kennedy asked.

«Yeah, but his database reads like a Who's Who of Washington. He advised both intelligence committees and an unknown number of other politicians on national security issues. I mean, you could look through this thing, Irene, but you'd better plan on blocking out a week. Either that, or you're going to have to let me get some help from the CTC. There's just too much information.»

Kennedy had already thought about bringing in some of her people from the Counterterrorism Center, but she didn't like the downside. They had to find out if there were any leaks first. «We can't ask for any help from the CTC, at least not yet.»

«Well, I don't know how you expect me to handle this. It's going to take me a long time, and to be honest, this isn't my specialty. I'm not an analyst. I don't know these names like you do, I don't see the issues or understand the agendas. I don't have the foggiest idea who's important and who isn't. I've got the financial stuff nailed, but the rest of it is a mystery to me.»

«For now, concentrate on anything that might link him to the secretary of state or Congressman Rudin.»

«What about the money?» asked Rapp.

Dumond had discovered two offshore accounts in the Bahamas totaling almost half a million dollars. «I spent more than an hour today trying to track where those payments came from, and I came up with zip.»