The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

eally leaves. You know that. I don't like the way you look. You've been at it
too long. Have you any idea how lucky you are that you can leave? You have a
degree of freedom I do not. Use it,'
'Nice try, man. If you were in my position, you wouldn't leave. Same reason,
even. I'm not a quitter. Neither are you. It's that simple.'
'Pride can be a destructive force,' the Prince pointed out.
Jack leaned forward. 'It's not pride. It's fact. They do need me. I wish they
didn't, but they do. Problem is, they don't know it.'
'Is the new director that bad?'
'Marcus is not a bad person, but he's lazy. He likes his position better than he
likes his duties. I don't suppose that's a problem limited to the American
government, is it? I know better. So do you. Duty comes first. Maybe you're
stuck with your job because you were born into it, but I'm just as stuck with
mine because I'm the guy best able to do it.'
'Do they listen to you?' His Highness asked sharply.
Jack shrugged. 'Not always. Hell, sometimes I'm wrong, but there has to be
somebody there who does the right thing, at least tries to. That's me, sir.
That's why I can't bug out. You know that just as well as I do.'
'Even if it harms you?'
'Correct.'
'Your sense of duty is admirable, Sir John.'
'I had a couple of good teachers. You didn't run and hide when you knew you were
a target. You could have done that – '
'No, I could not have done so. If I had – '
'The bad guys would have won,' Jack finished the thought. 'My problem isn't very
different, is it? I learned part of this from you. Surprised?' Jack asked.
'Yes,' he admitted.
'You don't run away from things. Neither do I.'
'Your verbal maneuvering is as skillful as ever.'
'See? I haven't lost it yet.' Jack was rather pleased with himself.
'I will insist that you bring the family out to Wyoming with us.'
'You can always go over my head – talk to Cathy.'
His Highness laughed. 'Perhaps I will. Flying back tomorrow?'
'Yes, sir. I'm going to hit Hamley's for some toys.'
'Get yourself some sleep, Jack. We'll have this argument again next year.'
***
It was five hours earlier in Washington. Liz Elliot stared across her desk at
Bob Holtzman, who covered the White House. Like the permanent staffers here,
Holtzman bad seen them come and go, outlasting them all. His greater experience
in the building was something of a paradox. Though necessarily cut out of the
really good stuff Holtzman knew that there were some secrets he'd never see
until years too late to make a story of them; that was the work of historians –
his skill at reading nuances and catching whiffs would have earned him a senior
place at any intelligence agency. But his paper paid much better than any
government agency, especially since he'd also penned a few best-selling books on
life at the highest levels of government.
'This is deep background?'