The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

eginning a careful check of all relevant data. The two best outside consultants
are at Princeton and Berkeley. I'll have them in the office Monday to look over
our data.'
'When will you have a firm estimate" Secretary Talbot asked.
'Depends on what you mean by firm. End of next week, we'll have a preliminary
estimate. "Firm" is going to take a while. I've tried getting this confirmed by
our British colleagues, but they came up blank.'
'Where could those things show up?' Liz Elliot asked.
'Russia's a big country,' Ryan replied.
'It's a big world,' Bunker said. 'What's your worst-case estimate?'
'We haven't started that process yet,' Jack answered. 'When you're talking about
missing nuclear weapons, worst-cases can be pretty bad.'
'Is there any reason to suspect a threat directed against us?' Fowler asked.
'No, Mr President. The Soviet military is rational, and that would be an act of
lunacy.'
'Your faith in the uniformed mentality is touching,' Liz Elliot noted. 'You
really think theirs are more intelligent than ours?'
'They deliver when we ask them to,' Dennis Bunker said sharply. 'I wish you
would have just a little respect for them, Dr Elliot.'
'We will save that for another day,' Fowler observed. 'What could they possibly
gain from threatening us?'
'Nothing, Mr President,' Ryan answered.
'Agreed,' Brent Talbot said.
'I'll feel better when those SS-18s are gone,' Bunker noted, 'but Ryan's right.'
'I want an estimate on that, too,' Elliot said. 'I want it fast.'
'You'll get it,' Jack promised.
'What about the Mexico operation?'
'Mr President, the assets are in place.'
'What is this?' the Secretary of State asked.
'Brent, I think it's time you got briefed in on this. Ryan, commence.'
Jack ran through the background information and the operational concept. It took
several minutes.
'I can't believe they'd do such a thing: it's outrageous,' Talbot said.
'Is this why you're not coming out to the game?' Bunker asked with a smile.
'Brent, I can believe it. How quickly will you have the transcripts from the
aircraft?'
'Given his ETA into Washington, plus processing time . . . say around ten that
night.'
'You can still come out to the game then, Bob,' Bunker said. It was the first
time Ryan had ever seen someone address the President that way.
Fowler shook his head. 'I'll catch it at Camp David. I want to be bright-eyed
for this meet. Besides, the storm that just hit Denver might be here Sunday.
Getting back into town could be tough, and the Secret Service spent a couple
hours explaining how bad football games are for me – meaning them, of course.'
'Going to be a good one,' Talbot said.
'What's the point spread?' Fowler asked.
Jesus! Ryan thought.