Dead Edge: the gripping political thriller for fans of Lee Child. Jack Ford
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our failure of the imagination on what is likely.’
Woods, not wholly without flippancy, replied, ‘I prefer to work on factual.’
‘To work solely on the basis of factual would be to fail in my duty, Mr President. It would be an impossibility to do so. Most times my field agents only have the luxury of factual when our imagination has worked out what is likely. Rumsfeld was right when he talked about how when we have the likely, the likely takes us down the road of risk and uncertainty, and only at the end of it, likely may turn into an actuality. It is after all about the known unknowns.’
‘But that’s exactly why we have you and the CTC. To find out those things, whether through human intelligence, data or visual technology.’
‘And it’s still HI which gives us the most intel, but that’s only because the CIA are able to negotiate with countries and governments who sympathize with the ideology of the terror groups. And as you know, Mr President, prisoner release using high value detainees, such as Bin Hamad, are essential to that negotiation for the CIA.’
‘There are other ways, Chuck, and I know other administrations have been more open to this course of action, but not this one…’ Woods paused, finally succumbing to the plate of chocolate cookies in front of him, then added, ‘I’m not changing my stance on this, Chuck.’
Watching crumbs from the chocolate cookie flake off, at the point of entering Woods’ mouth, and float down onto the highly polished table to form a circular pattern, Chuck, irritated by what he saw as dangerous liberal thinking, shook his head. ‘You’re making a big mistake, Mr President.’
Woods took a large gulp of the simple black coffee Joan had made him. He didn’t know what it was but there was something about the White House coffee; it always tasted pretty damn good. ‘I won’t go against the American people. As we speak, America’s afraid. We’re on code red. We’ve had bombs and suicide bombs and people are afraid out there. So we need to stand as a nation. That’s the only way we’re going to win the war on terror. To stand as one.’
As was Chuck Harrison’s practice, he said, ‘Bullshit…! This isn’t a union address speech, or some campaign trail to pick up votes. This is real, Mr President, and I know what we’re up against. The only people who stand as one out there is us. The CIA. We’re in the field. On the ground. We go in way before you bring any of the red team analysts to weigh up the odds of collateral damage, before you sit around this table watching in real time the military offensive, and before any hi-tech drone strike. And the only reason why any of those guys can do their job is because we’ve paved the way. Alone. Without back up. Without assurances that what we’re getting into is really what it seems. So, with respect, the idea that somehow the nation stands at one, is complete bullshit.’
Woods thought.
Contemplated.
Weighed up.
Wondered if.
Then decided not to haul up Chuck for the way he’d spoken. Passion often induced the versing of tongues towards the expletive. ‘I’m sorry, Chuck, but I made an oath to serve the American people, and I won’t, when they’re not looking, release the terrorists who’ve waged war against and masterminded attacks on our nation.’
Chuck, in a tone which did not rise or did not fall, said, ‘You really don’t know what you’re doing, and a lot more people will get hurt unless you act now. You’re putting lives at risk.’
Woods, using his tongue to dislodge a piece of cookie from one of his back molars, which needed fixing, pointed at Chuck. ‘I think you’re on dangerous territory, here. I don’t appreciate at all what you’ve just said, and I certainly don’t appreciate the way you’re saying it.’
‘You may not, but it’s a fact. A hard fact. Like it’s a fact that you want me to go into battle, but you’re sending me into the ring with my hands tied behind my back. I don’t have to tell you that war is not just played out on the fields. It’s behind the scenes. The communication. The negotiation… The deals we are compelled to do whether we like them or not. There’s been many a possible conflict which has been prevented by all of the above. And that’s what I’m saying is: to help us fight terror, Mr President, I need to be able to make deals. I need a way to find out about the whens, the wheres and the hows.’
‘Chuck, I have to call a close on this meeting soon, but to put it straight on the table, I don’t want the CIA being what it was. It’s a new dawn. More transparent. More ethical. The reputation needs to be rebuilt.’
‘I don’t know what you think we’re running here, Mr President, but trying to turn the CIA into a political PR stunt just isn’t going to work. All the politicians on either side love to holler about making America great again. But I’d settle for making it safe again right now.’
Losing his temper, slightly – a lot – Woods growled. ‘And how the hell are we supposed to do that when you want us to release prisoners like white doves at a wedding?’
‘Nobody’s saying that. What’s important is the selected few. We need to keep friends with some of these countries. Sometimes we have to realize the prize is bigger than the stake. To release a prisoner, to transfer him back to his own country – even if that prisoner is a major league terrorist – in exchange of vital intel from unusual, uncooperative or even hostile governments is worth it. I know it may stick in our throats, but let it stick. Let it choke, compared to having to stand and watch another 9/11 because we weren’t willing to play the game.’
‘This government won’t be blackmailed.’
‘Not blackmail, Mr President, just how things need to be done. This is a new era. The Middle East is a complicated animal, and sometimes you need to feed it. Countries such as Qatar, where Bin Hamad is from; as you know, it’s paramount we’re able to maintain good relations so we’re able to keep our military base there. We all know that without it, things would be so much more difficult to monitor. We couldn’t keep an eye on the Gulf, or Iraq and Iran, or the terror groups within them. Not only that, Mr President, but we rely on them to mediate between us and groups like the Taliban. Mr President, I’m advising you as the acting head of the CTC that you shouldn’t rule out the necessity of prisoner release and transfer.’
‘Chuck, I respect your knowledge on these matters. But this administration won’t be part of what I see as being complicit in this chess game. We do things properly around here.’
‘There’s no such thing as properly when it comes to this country being attacked. Whether it’s from lone suicide bombers, or from more sophisticated assaults… If it were me, Mr President, I’d tear up and throw out all those legislations that go back and forth between you and Congress. There is no rule book anymore. No laws are going to protect you from what’s out there. And believe me, if you don’t, you’re going to regret this.’
‘If I didn’t know better, Chuck, that sounds like a threat.’
‘A threat? You kidding me? I’m not the one you need to be worrying about. The threats are when everyday folk ride on the subway. When they take their kids to school. When they step onto a plane or train, go to work, or even wait in line to buy groceries. It’s waiting for them. And mainly because it’s getting harder for us to stop it. The explosion of the internet. Encrypted communication, which as a nation we are so behind with; even the terrorists are more advanced than us. And when you add to that the reluctance of a number of Middle Eastern governments to assist, we’ve got a major problem. What it cuts down to is we’re trying to follow leads, prevent and foil attacks, and all without help from your administration. You’re costing lives.’
‘You’re talking bull, Chuck.’
‘Am I? Am I really? I don’t think so. You know what my idea of bull is? It’s when you won’t release prisoners the CIA are asking you to, because they’re terrorists, yet your administration will sell advanced weaponry to the same countries that these terrorists come from – and not just come