Sea of Shadows eBook - Navy Thriller.com

OVAL OFFICE
WASHINGTON, DC
MONDAY; 21 MAY
1:07 AM EDT
CHAPTER 43
The president held the receiver to his ear and verified that the green
“secure” lamp was lit before speaking. “Okay, Emily. We’re green.”
The voice of British Prime Minister Emily Irons warbled slightly as it
came through the encrypted phone. “I appreciate you taking my call at this
hour, Frank. I should have checked the time difference before phoning.”
“Don’t give it a second’s thought,” the president said. He did his best
to suppress a yawn. Emily Irons wasn’t known for wasting time on
pleasantries, and she never called without a compelling reason. It was
worth getting up before the roosters to hear anything she had to say.
“What’s on your mind, Emily?”
“The attack on my embassy,” she said.
The president automatically sat up straighter and tightened the belt of
his robe. “I’m listening.”
“The attack was planned by Abdul Kaliq, the Siraji minister of defense,
and financed by the government of Siraj through a series of blind bank
transactions in the Cayman Islands.”
The president felt a twinge, deep in his bowels. “You’re certain?”
“There’s no room for doubt, Frank. I’ve seen the proof.”
“Are you going to take it to the UN?”
“No,” she said. “I’m going to handle the matter myself.”
“I see,” the president said. “Do you mind if I ask how you found out
who was behind the attack?”
The British prime minister paused before answering. “That’s a bit of a
sticky question, I’m afraid. I must ask you to trust me when I tell you that
you will be much happier if you don’t ever know the answer to that
question.”
It was the president’s turn to pause. “I had a homeland security
briefing yesterday evening. It seems that there was a third man involved in
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