different a situation than if one of your generals turned, say, Florida
over to Russian forces for safekeeping.
“But we can work together. We should work together, in the interests of
world peace. In fact, we would welcome your help fighting against the
Ukrainian invasion when it comes. There is an excellent possibility, Mr.
President, that simply the presence of your carrier battle group in our
waters, coupled with your declaration to stand by the rightful,
popularly elected government of the Crimea, will be enough to discourage
Ukrainian aggression.
“I would also remind you of the Ukrainian genocide already committed
against Russian citizens in eastern Ukraine. If they are allowed to
invade the Crimea, I can only expect that-”
“Shut that thing off,” Samantha Reed said. This was the third time
they’d played the tape through, and by now they were beginning to know
large parts of it by heart.
“The rest of it’s flag-waving and grandstanding,” Secretary of State
Heideman said. “With a fair amount of heart-thumping thrown in gratis.”
“The guy’s insane,” Waring said, shaking his head. “The President would
never go for something like this.”
“I don’t know,” Reed said thoughtfully. “We should at least consider the
offer. Discuss it. It may be the only viable option we have.”
“Excuse me,” Admiral Scott said sharply, “but did I just hear that
tin-plated neo-Communist dictator try to extort American military help?
Those bastards just hijacked an entire carrier battle group and a Marine
Expeditionary Unit and are holding them and something like thirty
thousand of our men and women hostage! We do not make deals with
terrorists!”
“Of course we do, Admiral,” Reed said testily. “We do it all the time.
We just cloak the reality behind negotiations and settlements and new
breakthroughs in the peace process.”
“Good God, Madam Secretary-”
“Now hear me out!” Reed insisted. “This may not be the disaster the rest
of you are making it out to be.”
“What?” Scott said. “Is this a new way you have of cutting back the
Defense Department? Give our carriers to the Russians?”
“Admiral, I will remind you that you work for me! If you can’t accept
that, if you can’t live with my standards, then you are welcome to
tender your resignation.”
“No, ma’am,” Scott replied, his jaw stubbornly set. “You’re going to
have to fire me, because right now it looks to me like I’m the only one
looking out for the interests of our people over there.”
“Our people should be safe enough, Admiral,” Waring said. “Dmitriev’s
not crazy enough to launch an attack on a carrier group, not as weak as
his forces are right now. All our boys need to do is sit tight. .. maybe
withdraw to a Turkish Black Sea port, and they’ll be fine.”
“Has anyone bothered to ask the Turks what they think of that?” Lloyd
said quietly.
“They still refuse to admit our ships into their waters,” Heideman said
glumly. “We have people talking to them. They’ll see reason, we think,
but it might take time.”
“That’s not likely,” Scott said. “Damn it, they have a war on their
hands now. Don’t you see? Russia just attacked Turkish territory. What.
.. Roger? How many civilians died in that attack?”
“Last number I saw was eight hundred,” Lloyd replied. “That’ll go up,
though. They’re still fishing bodies out of the Bosporus.”
“Well, why are the Turks mad at us?” Reed wanted to know. She spread her
hands. “This puts us and the Turks in the same boat. Russia attacked
both of us!”
“They, ah, may think that we provoked that attack, Madam Secretary,”
Heideman said carefully. “They may be trying to distance themselves for
that reason.”
Scott snorted rudely. “Ankara may also still want to salvage their
relationship with the Russians.”
Lloyd nodded. “The admiral’s right. Remember, the Turks need the
Russians to help control the Kurd arms-smuggling on their border. There
are factions in the Turkish government that would accept a Russian
apology for the ‘accident’ on the Bosporus in exchange for an air strike
or two against Kurdish camps in Armenia.”
“So where do we stand, then?” Reed wanted to know. “You’re telling me
there’s no way we can get through and resupply them?”