The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

America's most dependable ally in the Middle East. That was to be expected from
an historian, Avi judged. Whatever Ryan thought, most Americans did regard
Israel that way, and as a result, Israelis heard more from inside the American
government than any other country – more even than the British, who had a formal
relationship with the American intelligence community.
Those sources had informed Ben Jakob's intelligence officers that Ryan was
behind what was going on. That seemed incredibly unlikely. Jack was very bright,
almost as smart as Alden, for example, but Ryan had also defined his own role as
a servant, not a master, an implementer of policy, not a maker of it. Besides,
the American President did not like Ryan, and had not hidden the fact from his
inner circle. Elizabeth Elliot was reported to hate him, Avi knew. Something
that had happened before the election, an imagined slight, a harsh word. Well,
government ministers were notoriously touchy. Not like Ryan and me, General Ben
Jakob thought. Both he and Ryan had faced death more than once, and perhaps that
was their bond. They didn't have to agree on everything. There was respect
between them.
Moscow, Rome, Tel Aviv, Riyadh. What could he deduce from that?
Scott Adler was Secretary of State Talbot's picked man, a highly skilled
professional diplomat. Talbot was also bright. President Fowler might not have
been terribly impressive, but he had selected superior cabinet officers and
personal advisers. Except for Elliot, Avi corrected himself. Talbot used Deputy
Secretary Adler to do his important advance work. And when Talbot himself
entered formal negotiations, Adler was always at his side.
The most amazing thing, of course, was that not one of the Mossad's informants
had a clue what was going on. Something important in the Middle East, they said.
Not sure what . . . I heard that Jack Ryan at the Agency had something to do
with it . . . End of report.
It should have been infuriating, but Avi was used to that. Intelligence was a
game where you never saw all the cards. Ben Jakob's brother was a pediatrician
with similar problems. A sick child rarely told him what was wrong. Of course,
his brother could always ask, or point, or probe . . .
'Jack, I must tell my superiors something,' General Ben Jakob said plaintively.
'Come on, General.' Jack turned and waved for another beer. 'Tell me, what the
hell happened on the Mount?'
'The man was – deranged. In the hospital they have a suicide watch on him. His
wife had just left him, he came under the influence of a religious fanatic, and
. . . ' Ben Jakob shrugged. 'It was terrible to see.'
'That's true, Avi. Do you have any idea the political fix you're in now?'
'Jack, we've been dealing with this problem for – '
'I thought so. Avi, you are one very bright spook, but you do not know what's
happening this time. You really don't.'
'So tell me.'
'I didn't mean that, and you know it. What happened a couple days ago has
changed things forever, General. You must know that.'
'Changed to what?'
'You're going to have to wait. I have my orders, too.'
'Does your country threaten us?'