The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

ORDERS, AND THERE WERE NO SUCH ORDERS. WE HAVE SENT ADDITIONAL TROOPS
INTO
BERLIN TO INVESTIGATE, AND THEY WERE ATTACKED BY YOUR FORCES IN THE
EASTERN PART
OF THE CITY, WELL AWAY FROM YOUR ENCAMPMENT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
***
'What the hell is he talking about? What am I doing?
What the hell is he doing!' Fowler growled. A light came on. It was the CIA. The
President pushed the button, adding a new line to his conference call.
'That depends on who "he" is,' Elliot warned.
'Yes, what is it?'
'Mr President, what we have here is simple confusion.'
'Ryan! We don't want analysis, we want information. Do you have any?' Liz
shouted.
'The Soviets are sortieing their ships out of the Northern Fleet ports. One
missile submarine is supposed to be heading out.'
'So, their land-based missiles are fully alerted?'
'Correct.'
'And they're adding to their submarine missile force also?'
'Yes, Mr President.'
'Do you have any good news?'
'Sir, the news is that there is no real news right now, and you're – '
'Listen, Ryan. One last time: I want information from you and nothing else. You
brought me that Kadishev stuff and now you're saying it was all wrong. So, why
should I believe you now?'
'Sir, when I gave it to you I told you it was not confirmed!'
'I think we may have confirmation now,' Liz pointed out. 'General Borstein, if
they're fully on line, what exactly is the threat?'
'The fastest thing they can get to us is an ICBM. Figure one regiment of SS-18s
targeted on the Washington area, and most of the others targeted on our missile
fields in the Dakotas, plus the sub bases at Charleston, King's Bay, Bangor, and
the rest. Warning time will be twenty-five minutes.'
'And we will be targets here?' Liz asked.
'That is a reasonable assumption, Dr Elliot.'
'So, they will try to use SS-18s to finish what the first weapon missed?'
'If that was their work, yes.'
'General Fremont, how far out is the backup Kneecap?'
'Dr Elliot, it took off about ten minutes ago. It'll be at Hagerstown in
ninety-five minutes. They have some good tail winds.' CINC-SAC regretted that
addition almost at once.
'So, if they are thinking about an attack, and they launch it within the next
hour and a half, we're dead here?'
'Yes.'
'Elizabeth, it's our job to prevent that, remember?' Fowler said quietly.
The National Security Advisor looked over at the President. Her face might have
been made of glass, it looked so brittle. It wasn't supposed to be like this.
She was the chief advisor to the most powerful man in the world, in a place of