The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

'Him again? What is it?'
'The reports we heard about improper financial dealings were true, but it looks
like he weaseled out of them on a technicality. It would have been enough to
keep him out of this Administration, but since he's grandfathered in from before
. . .'
'There are technicalities and technicalities. What other thing do you have?'
'Sexual impropriety, and possibly using Agency personnel to settle personal
scores.'
'Sexual impropriety . . . disgraceful . . .'
Elliot giggled. He liked that. 'There might be a child involved.' Fowler did not
like that. He was a very seriously committed man on the issue of children's
rights. His hands stopped moving.
'What do we know?'
'Not enough. It should be looked at, though,' Liz said, coaxing his hands back
into motion.
'Okay, have the FBI do a quiet investigation,' the President said, ending the
issue, he thought.
'That won't work.'
'Why?'
'Ryan has a very close relationship with the Bureau. They might balk on those
grounds, might smooth the thing over.'
'Bill Shaw isn't like that. He's as good a cop as I've ever met – even I can't
make him do things, and that's the way it should be.' Logic and principle again.
The man was impossible to predict.
'Shaw worked personally on the Ryan Case – the terrorist thing, I mean. Prior
personal involvement by the head of the investigative agency . . . ?'
'True,' Fowler admitted. It would look bad. Conflict of interest and all that.
'And Shaw's personal trouble-shooter is that Murray fellow. He and Ryan are
pretty tight.'
A grunt. 'So, what then?'
'Somebody from the Attorney General's office, I think.'
'Why not Secret Service?' Fowler asked, knowing the answer, but wondering if she
did.
'Then it looks like it's a witch hunt.'
'Good point. Okay, the A.G.'s office. Call Greg tomorrow.'
'Okay, Bob.' Time to change subjects. She brought one of his hands to her face,
and kissed it. 'You know, at times like this I really miss cigarettes.'
'Smoke after sex?' he asked with a harder embrace.
'When you make love to me, Bob, I smoke during sex . . .' She turned to stare
into his eyes.
'Maybe I should think about relighting the fire . . . ?'
'They say,' the National Security Advisor purred, moving to kiss him again, ' .
. . they say the President of the United States is the most powerful man in the
world . . .'
'I do my best, Elizabeth.'
Half an hour later, Elliot decided that it was true. She was starting to love
him. Then she wondered what he felt for her . . .