Patriot Games by Tom Clancy

“Only three weeks?” Ryan asked.

“The case is clear-cut,” Owens said. “We have three photographs from our Japanese friend that show this lad holding his gun behind the car, and nine good eyewitnesses. There will be no mucking about with this lad.”

“And I’ll be there to see it,” Ryan observed.

“Of course. You will be our most important witness, Doctor. A formality, but a necessary one. And no claim of lunacy like the chap who tried to kill your President. This boy is a university graduate, with honors, and he comes from a good family.”

Ryan shook his head. “Ain’t that a hell of a thing? But most of the really bad ones are, aren’t they?”

“You know about terrorists?” Ashley asked.

“Just things I’ve read,” Ryan answered quickly. That was a mistake, Jack. Cover it. “Officer Wilson said the ULA were Maoists.”

“Correct,” Taylor said.

“That really is crazy. Hell, even the Chinese aren’t Maoists anymore, at least the last time I checked they weren’t. Oh — what about my family?”

Ashley laughed. “About time you asked, Doctor. We couldn’t very well leave them at the hotel, could we? It was arranged for them to be put up at a highly secure location.”

“You need not be concerned,” Owens agreed. “They are quite safe. My word on it.”

“Where, exactly?” Ryan wanted to know.

“A security matter, I’m afraid,” Ashley said. The three inquisitors shared an amused look. Owens checked his watch and shot a look to the others.

“Well,” Owens said. He switched off the tape recorder. “We do not wish to trouble you further the day after surgery. We will probably be back to check a few additional details. For the moment, sir, you have the thanks of all of us at the Yard for doing our job for us.”

“How long will I have Mr. Wilson here?”

“Indefinitely. The ULA are likely to be somewhat annoyed with you,” Owens said. “And it would be most embarrassing for us if they were to make an attempt on your life and find you unprotected. We do not regard this as likely, mind, but one must be careful.”

“I can live with that,” Ryan agreed. I make a hell of a target here, don’t I? A third-grader could kill me with a Popsicle stick.

“The press want to see you,” Taylor said.

“I’m thrilled.” Just what I need, Ryan thought. “Could you hold them off a bit?”

“Simple enough,” Owens agreed. “Your medical condition does not permit it at the moment. But you should get used to the idea. You are now something of a public figure.”

“Like hell!” Ryan snorted. “I like being obscure.” Then you should have stayed behind the tree, dumbass! Just what have you got yourself into?

“You can’t refuse to see them indefinitely, you know,” Taylor said gently.

Jack let out a long breath. “You’re correct, of course. But not today. Tomorrow is soon enough.” Let the hubbub die down some first, Ryan thought stupidly.

“One cannot always stay in the shadows. Doctor Ryan,” Ashley said, standing. The others took their cue from him.

The cops and Ashley — Ryan now had him pegged as some kind of spook, intelligence or counterintelligence — took their leave. Wilson came back in, with Kittiwake trailing behind.

“Did they tire you out?” the nurse asked.

“I think I’ll live,” Ryan allowed. Kittiwake thrust a thermometer in his mouth to make sure.

Forty minutes after the police had left, Ryan was typing happily away on his computer-toy, reviewing notes and drafting some fresh copy. Cathy Ryan’s most frequent (and legitimate) complaint about her husband was that while he was reading — or worse, writing — the world could end around him without his taking notice. This was not entirely true. Jack did notice Wilson jumping to attention out the corner of his eye, but he did not look up until he had finished the paragraph. When he did, he saw that his new visitors were Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. His first coherent thought was a mental curse that no one had warned him. His second, that he must look very funny with his mouth hanging open.

“Good morning, Doctor Ryan,” the Queen said agreeably. “How are you feeling?”

“Uh, quite well, thank you, uh, Your Majesty. Won’t you, uh, please sit down?” Ryan tried to sit more erect in his bed, but was halted by a flash of pain from his shoulder. It helped to center his thoughts and reminded him that his medication was nearly due.

“We have no wish to impose,” she said. Ryan sensed that she didn’t wish to leave right away, either. He took a second to frame his response.

“Your Majesty, a visit from a head of state hardly qualifies as an imposition. I would be most grateful for your company.” Wilson hustled to get two chairs and excused himself out the door as they sat.

The Queen was dressed in a peach-colored suit whose elegant simplicity must have made a noteworthy dent even in her clothing budget. The Duke was in a dark blue suit which finally made Ryan understand why his wife wanted him to buy some clothes over here.

“Doctor Ryan,” she said formally, “on our behalf, and that of our people, we wish to express to you our most profound gratitude for your action of yesterday. We are very much in your debt.”

Ryan nodded soberly. He wondered just how awful he looked. “For my own part, ma’am, I am glad that I was able to be of service — but the truth of the matter is that I didn’t really do all that much. Anyone could have done the same thing. I just happened to be the closest.”

“The police say otherwise,” the Duke observed. “And after viewing the scene myself, I am inclined to agree with them. I’m afraid you’re a hero whether you like it or not.” Jack remembered that this man had once been a professional naval officer — probably a good one. He had the look.

“Why did you do it. Doctor Ryan?” the Queen asked. She examined his face closely.

Jack made a quick guess. “Excuse me, ma’am, but are you asking why I took the chance, or why an Irish-American would take the chance?” Jack was still ordering his own thoughts, examining his own memories. Why did you do it? Will you ever know? He saw that he’d guessed right and went on quickly.

“Your Majesty, I cannot speak to your Irish problem. I’m an American citizen, and my country has enough problems of its own without having to delve into someone else’s. Where I come from we — that is, Irish-Americans — have made out pretty well. We’re in all the professions, business, and politics, but your prototypical Irish-American is still a basic police officer or firefighter. The cavalry that won the West was a third Irish, and there are still plenty of us in uniform — especially the Marine Corps, as a matter of fact. Half of the local FBI office lived in my old neighborhood. They had names like Tully, Sullivan, O’Connor, and Murphy. My dad was a police officer for half his life, and the priests and nuns who educated me were mostly Irish, probably.

“Do you see what I mean, Your Majesty? In America we are the forces of order, the glue that holds society together — so what happens?

“Today, the most famous Irishmen in the world are the maniacs who leave bombs in parked cars, or assassins who kill people to make some sort of political point. I don’t like that, and I know my dad wouldn’t tike it. He spent his whole working life taking animals like that off the street and putting them in cages where they belong. We’ve worked pretty hard to get where we are — too hard to be happy about being thought of as the relatives of terrorists.” Jack smiled. “I guess I understand how Italians feel about the Mafia. Anyway, I can’t say that all this stuff paraded through my head yesterday, but I did kind of figure what was going on. I couldn’t just sit there like a dummy and let murder be committed before my eyes and not do something. So I saw my chance and I took it.”

The Queen nodded thoughtfully. She regarded Ryan with a warm, friendly smile for a few moments and turned to look at her husband. The two communicated without words. They’d been married long enough for that, Ryan thought. When she turned back, he could see that a decision had been reached.

“So, then. How shall we reward you?”

“Reward, ma’am?” Ryan shook his head. “Thank you very much, but it’s not necessary. I’m glad I was able to help. That’s enough.”

“No, Doctor Ryan, it is not enough. One of the nicer things about being Queen is that one is permitted to recognize meritorious conduct, then to reward it properly. The Crown cannot appear to be ungrateful.” Her eyes sparkled with some private joke. Ryan found himself captivated by the woman’s humanity. He’d read that some people found her to be less than intelligent. He already knew they were far off the mark. There was an active brain behind those eyes, and an active wit as well. “Accordingly, it has been decided that you shall be invested as a Knight Commander of the Victorian Order.”